Assessment of concentration and heavy metals contamination in atmospheric dust from urban and industrial areas of Bushehr Province

This study was conducted to assess the concentration of some heavy metals and to examine their contamination hazard in atmospheric dust of urban, industrial and non-urban areas in Bushehr province, southwestern Iran. Fifty dust samples from the leaves of the palm trees and fifty surface soil samples from Bushehr and Assaluyeh cities as urban and industrial areas, respectively, and also from the transect between the two cities as a non-urban area were collected. The total concentrations of Pb, Cu, Co, Cr, Mn, Zn and Ni in dust and soil samples were determined by an atomic absorption spectrometer following the digestion with 6N nitric acid solution. The degree of contamination of atmospheric dust samples with heavy metals was assessed using indices including enrichment factor, degree of contamination and pollution load index. The results showed that the concentration of Pb, Cu and Zn in dust was affected by traffic and industrial activities. Pollution indices indicated that Pb had the highest enrichment factor among the heavy metals falling in the “Very High” class of enrichment in all the three areas. The highest degree of contamination in dust of Bushehr Province was found for the urban area of Bushehr categorized in the very high pollution class. Results of the degree of contamination and pollution load index showed that atmospheric dust of Bushehr Province is contaminated with heavy metals.