Health and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Esfarayen Surface Soils

Introduction: Due to the continued urbanization and industrialization in most parts of the world, metals are constantly being introduced into the soil environment and posing a major threat to human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contamination of Esfarayen surface soils with heavy metals and its hazards to human health. Methods: Surface soil samples were collected from 5 areas with different land uses in Esfarayen. The concentration of heavy metals in the soil was measured by ICP-OES. Contamination factors (Geoaccumulation Index and Pollution Load Index) and health hazards (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) of heavy metals in surface soils were evaluated. Results: The results showed that the mean concentrations of cadmium (Ca), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in Esfarayen soil were 0.21, 33.27, 39.91, 32.25, 25.17 and 25.52 mg/kg, respectively. It was much higher than the natural background values. The highest and the least carcinogenic risk were related to chromium and lead, respectively. Soil health risk assessment for the pediatric group showed that the soil did not pose a risk to children and adults. Conclusions: The contamination factor (Cf) values showed that the heavy metal contamination levels were Zn> Cr> Ca> Cu> Ni> Pb, respectively. These results are important in developing appropriate management strategies to reduce pollutant resources in Esfarayen.