Heavy Metal Pollution and Major Nutrient Elements Assessment in the Soils of Bogra City in Bangladesh

Bogra city is highly susceptible to environmental pollution due to over population, rapid industrialization and urbanization during the last decades. A study was conducted to determine heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd and Ni) pollution level and physicochemical properties in the soils of Bogra city. The concentrations of heavy metals in 14 soil samples were determined by using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The mean total concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd in soil samples were 131.87, 28.46, 9.60, 7.56, 4.05 and 6.95 μg g -1 , respectively. Among the major nutrient constituents in soil, the range of N, Ca and Mg were 0.08-0.14, 0.01-0.40 and 0.01-0.22 wt %, respectively and the average concentration of Na, K, P and S were 152.49, 63.63, 25.75 and 17.70 μg g -1 , respectively. Considering pollution load index (PLI), out of 14 locations, 10 sites had the value >1.0 indicates pollution load in the respective sites. The study revealed that the contamination factor for Cd and Cu was several times higher compared to Zn, Pb, Cr and Ni. Similarly, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values also indicates strongly and uncontaminated to moderately pollution level of Cd and Cu, respectively. This study revealed that Cd and Cu are the major pollutants in soils of different areas of Bogra city in Bangladesh.