ISSN 2375-1266
African Journal of Environmental and Waste Management ISSN: 2375-1266 Vol. 2 (3), pp. 134-140, March, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
An evaluation of soil contamination with metals and hazardous industrial waste disposal site located in Hyderabad city
*1Prakash E. Gandhi, Rahu Kiran Chandra1 and Shashi Montek Sen2
1Department of Geophysical Research, Faculty of Science, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India.
*Corresponding Author Email: [email protected]
Accepted 26 February 2014
Abstract
Geo-environmental evaluation of heavy metals in/and around hazardous waste disposal sites located in the north-western part of Hyderabad (India) was carried out to define the degree of contamination of soil environment. Approximately 50,000 tonnes per annum of hazardous/industrial waste is deserted as landfill over 200 acres of area in the city outskirts, contaminating soil resource. In the present study, heavy metals (As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in soil samples were analysed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to quantify their concentrations. Natural background values were used to delineate their derivation as geogenic or anthropogenic. The average concentrations of As, Cr, Pb was found to exceed the threshold and natural background values, whereas the upmost concentrations of Cu, Ni and Zn exceeded the prescribed threshold limit. Soil pH varies from 5.7 to 8.9 and is acidic to near neutral and alkaline in nature. Soil pH significantly affects the solubility and mobility of these metals, as most of the metals are soluble in acid soils than in neutral or slightly basic soils. The methodology used has proved to be a useful tool to separate geological and anthropogenic causes of variation in soil heavy metal content and to identify common pollution sources.
Keywords: Industrial waste, landfill, heavy metal, geo-environment, soil, Hyderabad.