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Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils of National Capital Region, Delhi: Levels and Ecological Risk

Jyoti Rani1 , Tripti Agarwal2 and Sudesh Chaudhary1 *

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.16.3.13

This study was conducted to assess heavy metals concentrations in agricultural soils in the National Capital Region, Delhi. A total of 84 soil samples were collected from selected agricultural areas located near industries, national highways, state highways, Yamuna floodplain, residential complexes, and wastewater irrigated soils. Heavy metal concentrations, pH, and organic carbon (%) were analyzed in the collected soil samples. The average value of pH, and organic carbon (%) in the soil samples were 7.79±0.49 and 0.53±0.17 percent respectively. Average concentrations of heavy metals (mg kg-1) in the agricultural soils were found in the order of Fe > Al > Mn >  Zn > Ni > Cr > Cu > Pb > Co > Cd with value as 14916.92, 13538.87, 277.16, 74.53, 35.34, 33.68, 22.94, 18.45, 1.88, and 0.92 . The concentrations of Zn, Ni, and Mn reported in the present study were several times higher than their concentration in Indian natural background soils. A significant potential ecological risk has been noticed in nearly all the agricultural soil samples except for the samples collected nearby residential areas. The contamination factor has shown that most of the soil samples were moderately contaminated with Mn, Ni, Fe, and Cr and some soil samples were considerably to strongly contaminated with Zn, Pb, Cd, and Ni. Wastewater irrigated soils showed a moderate to a strong degree of accumulation of Zn, Cd, and Ni.

Agricultural Soils; Contamination Factor; Enrichment Factor; Heavy Metals; Potential Ecological Risk Index

Copy the following to cite this article:

Rani J, Agarwal T, Chaudhary S. Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils of National Capital Region, Delhi: Levels and Ecological Risk. Curr World Environ 2021;16(3). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.16.3.13

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Rani J, Agarwal T, Chaudhary S. Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils of National Capital Region, Delhi: Levels and Ecological Risk. Curr World Environ 2021;16(3). Available From: https://bit.ly/3mvm0o2

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