Heavy Metal Concentrations in Industrial, Agricultural, and Highway Soils in Northern Iran

Abstract In this article, heavy metal concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) in industrial, agricultural, and highway soils in the north of Iran (Amol-Babol) have been investigated. The soil samples were collected randomly from the identified areas and after transfer to the laboratory, they were dried in an oven and then ground by mill and passed through a 2 mm polyethylene sieve. A mixture of HNO3 and HCL was used to extract the metals existing in samples. The measurement of Zn, Cd, and Pb was done by Perkin-Elmer Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS), model 603, after filtration by number 42 Whatman paper. Mean concentrations of the metals were calculated in mg/kg in industrial, agricultural, and highway soils, respectively as follows: Pb 213±132, 19.70±9.5, 84±38; Cd 4.90±3.80, 1.9±1.2, 0.95±0.40; and Zn 214±111.50, 112±47, and 107±39.50. The highest concentration of these metals was observed in industrial area soils. According to the obtained results, the mean concentration of Pb and ...