Ecological Risk Evaluation of Certain Heavy Metals in Dust at Industrial Sites in Kirkuk Governorate, Northern Iraq

Abstract

Dust samples were collected from three different industrial sites: Construction, chemical, and food industry sites of the Kirkuk Governorate, Northern Iraq. The heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Sr, Cd, Pb, and U) in twenty-seven dust samples have been studied. A variety of indices have been utilized, including the contamination factor, contamination degree (Cdeg), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor, pollution load index, potential ecological risk, and risk index, as environmental pollution indicators. The finding refers to the concentration values of the elements, which are in the following descending arrangement: Sr>Zn>Cu> Pb> Ni> Co> U> Mo> As> and Cd. The result of the contamination factor indicated that the dust has low contamination with Ni and Sr, while the level of contamination with Co, Cu, As, and Mo is moderate. However, is considerably contaminated with Zn, Cd, Pb, and U. Significant enrichment of Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, and Mo was revealed by the EF findings. There is very high enrichment for As, Cd, Pb, and U. Depending on the calculated results of  Igeo, the dust was unpolluted for Pb, Ni, Co, Cu, and Sr, nevertheless having unpolluted to moderately polluted for Zn, As, Mo, Cd, and U. According to the Er values, all the heavy elements in the studied sites revealed a low potential ecological risk, except Cd, which showed considerable potential ecological risk. All the studied sites have RI values that fall into the moderate ecological risk for heavy metals.