Investigation of the Impact of Abadan Petrochemical Complex and Petroleum Refinery on Soil Heavy Metal and Sulfur Concentrations

In this study, the distribution of heavy metals (As, Cr, Ni, V, Mn, Fe, Zn, Pb) and sulfur in soil samples collected around the petrochemical complex and petroleum refinery at Abadan has been investigated. For this purpose, 22 surface soil samples were taking into consideration the prevailing wind direction (NW-SE). Sample number 22 is a control sample and was collected from a rural area. After preparation in the laboratory, the samples were analyzed using the ICP-OES method to assess concentrations of different elements. Also, the pH and organic matter content of samples were measured using standard methods. Pollution levels in the soil samples were investigated using different indices, including enrichment factor, contamination factor, contamination degree, saturation degree of metals and Potential acute toxicity. The mean concentrations of elements in the samples were compared to the mean concentration of these metals in the upper crust, soil worldwide, and EPA standards. The results of calculating the geochemical indices indicated that soil samples are more contaminated with S, Pb and Zn. The statistical analysis showed that nickel, vanadium, iron, manganese may be mainly derived from geogenic sources. Lead and zinc may originate from traffic and vehicle emissions as well as the petrochemical complex and petroleum refinery activities. As and Cr have both a geogenic and an anthropogenic origin. High concentrations of sulfur in the study area originated from the petrochemical complex and petroleum refinery activities.