Risk Assessment and Pollution of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Plants From Locations Around Ferrosilicon Factory in Aswan Governorate, Egypt.

Document Type : Research

Authors

1 Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center – Egypt.

2 Faculty of Science-Aswan University, Egypt

Abstract

This work provides a comprehensive analysis of heavy metal assessment in terms of exposing the nearby environmental elements from the ferrosilicon alloy factory to pollution, and the study covered three elements of the biosphere: soil and plants. The sites around the plant were selected on the basis of the distance from the plant.
The results of metal concentrations in soil showed higher levels in the areas around the ferroalloy industry. The studied metal concentrations have shown the following sequence: Mn > Pb > Cd. The highest lead concentration in the research area was detected in some sites that are close to highways and the factory.
The concentrations of heavy metals in plants at different sampling sites varied with season, and we found that unwashed samples had higher levels than clean samples. The predominant metals examined were Mn, Pb, and Cd.
Soil contamination was assessed using different indices: enrichment factor, contamination factor, contamination degree, soil accumulation, geo-accumulation, and pollution load index, where metal contamination levels varied throughout the year, with high-to-high cadmium contamination and medium-to-high manganese contamination. Lead contamination was moderate, with the highest concentrations near factories and roads. Results showed low to moderate manganese enrichment and high to very high cadmium and lead enrichment. The pollution load index showed deterioration in site quality, with higher values at sites closer to the facility.

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Aswan Science and Technology Bulletin
Volume 3, Issue 1
June 2025
Pages 178-195

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