Variability of some heavy metal concentration in various physical fractions of soil surface of Foold-e- Mobarakeh steel company, Isfahan

Among the soil pollutants, heavy metals due the high stability in soils and their toxicity to animals and plants needed especial considerations. Therefore, knowledge about the variability of heavy metals especially in various physical fractions is valuable for decision making and proper management in industrial districts. The knowledge about the heavy metal distribution in different particle size distributions (PSD’s) provides valuable information for heavy metal risk assessment of wind deposits and aerosols. In this regards little study has been made in the world as well as in our country. Therefore, this study was conducted to study the variability of heavy metals in different particle size fractions of surface soils of Foolad-e- Mobarakeh steel company in Isfahan province.
Methods and Materials: The study area is located in Foolad-Mobarakeh steel company nearby of Isfahan city. Sixty soil samples were collected from 0-5 cm of surface soils and after sieving, various fractions including
. The results showed that the highest of CF was observed for Fe in bulk soil samples and following for Fe in 150-300 μ fraction. The lowest CF was observed for Pb in 150-300μfraction. The results of study showed that Fe had the highest value in finest particles (
In overall, results of this study confirmed that various metals are distributed variously in different PSD’s. Also, the knowledge about the heavy metals contribution in various particle size distribution of soil, could provide valuable information for manager and governors in respect to risk assessment of metals in aerosols and wind deposits in industrial sites located in arid regions.