Pollution Indices and Ecological Risk Assessment for Heavy Metals in Side Soils of Interurban Roads, Iran

The aim of this paper is to investigate the soils around the roadways for heavy metals in terms of soil enrichment factor, Geoaccumulation, degree of contamination and potential ecological risk. The data of this paper have been used from two research projects. In one project, samples of heavy metals were collected from 22 stations along Tehran-Eyvanekey roadway and 26 stations along Tehran-Saveh and in other project samples of nickel and vanadium were taken for the roadways of Amol-Babol, Eyvanekey-kilan and Jolfa-Siahrood, from 5 stations along each road. The results indicate that soil contamination in terms of the enrichment factor, in most of the stations is low, in terms of contamination degree and geoaccumulation index is low to moderate for most of the stations and high in few cases (lead or cadmium as responsible pollutants) .The results of the ecological risk index indicate that in most stations, the risk is low to moderate and in few stations ,specially those at the beginning and the end of the road axis, is considerable or high which according to proximity to the cities seems reasonable.