An Investigation on Cd and Pb Concentrations of Soils around the Kurdistan Cement Factory in Western Iran

Heavy metals, e.g. Cd and Pb emit and release into the environment during cement production and are deposited into soils. This research was carried out to determine the concentration and spatial distribution of trace elements in top soils around the Kurdistan Cement Factory, west of Iran in order to evaluate the effect of cement factory on the environment. Twenty-four soil samples were collected from surface soils around the factory. Cadmium and lead concentrations in soil samples were determined using acid extraction procedure and atomic absorption spectrophotometric methods. Soils were sampled in four directions of north, south, west and east of cement factory and at intervals of 400 m to 800 m distance from the factory. Ordinary kriging technique in ArcGIS was performed to map the spatial patterns of heavy metals. The results showed that concentrations of Pb and Cd were weakly correlated with each other indicating these metals in soils may be from the different pollution source. No distinct spatial trends of Pb with its low accumulation in the soils demonstrate that Pb content was mainly influenced by soil factors. The spatial pattern of the cadmium showed that the cement factory emission has an impact on the soil’s cadmium content, since the highest level in area close to the cement factory. Estimated Pollution Load Index (PLI) showed that the soils around the factory were practically uncontaminated by metals.