Trace metals assessment in agricultural soil and irrigation water at hail region Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The suitability of agricultural soil and irrigation water depends on the presence of trace metals; the aim of the present work is to assessment of the trace metals at Hail region using analytical techniques. The metal contaminations levels were determined using ICP-MS and flame photometer. The result obtained were compared to the standard samples suitable for agricultural and it was in the suitable range. The geo-accumulation (I-geo), single pollution, Nemerow pollution indices showed that the Se pollution intensity was significant for agricultural soils. I-geo values revealed no real sign of contamination with almost all the samples, reflecting a lack of contamination for all elements except Zn. While the enrichment factor (EF) for Fe was less than 2 suggested that the elements come entirely from crustal materials or natural processes. The study showed considerable variation in the levels of the analyzed elements in the soil samples. The total metal concentrations in the soil samples ordered as follows: Na > K > Fe > Mn > Zn > Ba > Cr > Ni > Cu > Pb > Cd > As.