Assessment of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution and the Ecological Risk in an Agricultural Area from Sánchez Ramírez Province, Dominican Republic

Natividad Miledy Alberto Then, Ramón Delanoy, Pedro Antonio Nuñez-Ramos, Oscar Díaz Rizo and Lizaira Bello ()
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Natividad Miledy Alberto Then: Area of Basic and Environmental Sciences, Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), Santo Domingo 10602, Dominican Republic
Ramón Delanoy: Science Faculty, Physics Institute, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), Santo Domingo 10103, Dominican Republic
Pedro Antonio Nuñez-Ramos: Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), Santo Domingo 10103, Dominican Republic
Oscar Díaz Rizo: Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences, University of Havana (InSTEC-UH), La Habana 10600, Cuba
Lizaira Bello: Area of Basic and Environmental Sciences, Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), Santo Domingo 10602, Dominican Republic

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: Heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils is one of the main problems in agricultural production worldwide, which threatens human health and the environment. To evaluate the pollution levels of heavy metals and the ecological risks in an agricultural area from Sánchez Ramírez Province, Dominican Republic, the concentration levels of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and As) were measured using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF). Several pollution indices, including the geo-accumulation index (I geo ), enrichment factor (EF), and single pollution index (PI), were used to investigate the pollution status. The spatial distribution of different heavy metals in the studied soils was also determined. The mean concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and As were 73735, 1616, 426; 34; 20; 200; 43; and 5 mg kg −1 , respectively. These results indicated that the mean concentration of Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb exceeded FAO-recommended levels for healthy agricultural soils. However, the potential ecological risks assessment indicated a low-risk status. The results obtained could help improve soil–rice–environment management practices and prevent heavy metal pollution in this type of production system, protecting the health of the local population and the environment.

Keywords: paddy soil; EDXRF; pollution index; spatial distribution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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