Accumulation of Cd and Pb in soils irrigated with sewage and nonsewage water in Prayagraj, India Verma Jeetendra1,*, Mani Dinesh1, Sahu Vipin1, Shukla Devi Prasad1, Vishwakarma Himanchal1, Kumar Manoj1, Ojha Rupesh Kumar1 1Sheila Dhar Institute of Soil Science (SDISS), Department of Chemistry, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj-211002 (Uttar Pradesh), India *(e-mail: jeetendravermajmv@gmail.com)
Online published on 7 February, 2025. Abstract Unmanaged agricultural fields and the extended usage of sewage irrigation water can raise the concentration of heavy metals (Cd and Pb) in the soil, turning it into barren soil. The study was conducted during 2022-23 at four sewage and non-sewage irrigated sites in Prayagraj namely Naini, Baxibandh, Rasulabad and Draupadi Ghat. The representative soil samples were taken at depths of 0-15, 15-30, 30-45 and 45-60 cm. Di-acid mixture method was used for the estimation of heavy metals (Cd and Pb) in the soil sample by AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer) (AAnalyst600, Perkin Elmer Inc., MA, USA). Contamination factor (CF) and enrichment factor % (EF) of different sites showed various results which fulfill the basic criteria of present and future prospective of research. The highest concentration of Cd and Pb was found in the surface layer (0-15 cm) of sewage and non-sewage irrigated sites at Naini i.e., Cd (4.46±0.42 and 1.05±0.08 mg/kg) and Pb (6.53±0.62 and 1.18±0.12 mg/kg) respectively. The lowest concentration of Cd and Pb was found in the sub-surface layer (45-60 cm) of sewage and non-sewage irrigated sites at Draupadi Ghat i.e., Cd (1.02±0.09 and 0.16±0.01 mg/kg) and Pb (1.68±0.12 and 0.18±0.01 mg/kg) respectively. The concentration of heavy metals cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) declined with soil profile depth in both sewage and nonsewage irrigated soils. The long-term persistence of heavy metal contamination in soil can lead to severe issues; therefore, regular monitoring of sewage-irrigated soils is necessary to minimize heavy metal pollution. Top Keywords Contamination, Enrichment, Heavy metals, Sewage irrigated soil. Top |