Abstract
Metal(oid)s contamination in agricultural soils can create adverse environmental conditions and pose human health risks. The present study was conducted to assess metal(oid)s contents, source identification, and ecological and health risks due to metal(oid)s contamination in BISIC industrial region soils of Tangail district Bangladesh. The mean ± SD of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) were 8.67 ± 8.27 mg/kg, 13.76 ± 18.13 mg/kg, 23.46 ± 23.62 mg/kg, 4.93 ± 2.87 mg/kg, 1.56 ± 1.70 mg/kg, and 16.63 ± 9.32 mg/kg, respectively. The positive matrix factorization model identified lead-acid battery sources (49.53%), industrial sources (33.66%), and agricultural practices (16.63%) as potential sources of studied metal(oid)s. Contamination factor value of Cd (1.65) in the study area soils showed moderate contamination, whereas Nemerow-integrated pollution index (1.95) indicated slightly soil pollution and potential ecological risk (179.67) showed considerable risks. The HI value for adult male, female, and children due to ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact was higher than 1, assuming severe non-cancer health risks. Total cancer risk value of Cr (1.14E-02) Ni (7.24E-04), As (2.33E-03), and Cd (3.09E-04) for adult male; Cr (1.23E-02), Ni (7.81E-04), As (2.51E-03), and Cd (3.32E-04) for adult female, whereas Cr (5.32E-02), Ni (3.38E-03), As (1.09E-02), Cd (1.44E-03), and Pb (1.00E-04) for children were exceeded the highest acceptable limit (1.0E-04) indicating possible cancer risks. The present study will help environmental engineers and policymakers to control metal pollution in agricultural soils based on applicable and reasonable evaluation methods.