ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessing the Anthropogenic Impact on Heavy
Metal Pollution of Soils and Sediments in Urban
Areas of Azerbaijan’s Oil Industrial Region
Hadiya Khalilova1, Vagif Mammadov2
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1International Ecoenergy Academy,
5 M. Arif st., AZ1073 Baku, Azerbaijan
2Institute of Geology and Geophysics of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
119 H. Cavid av., AZ1143 Baku, Azerbaijan
Submission date: 2015-09-15
Final revision date: 2015-11-13
Acceptance date: 2015-11-24
Publication date: 2016-01-25
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2016;25(1):159-166
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ABSTRACT
This paper presents the result of studies of heavy metal pollution in soils and sediments caused by various
anthropogenic sources to assess the environmental impact of human activities in the major industrial
region of Azerbaijan, the Absheron peninsula. Soil and sediment samples were analyzed for As, Cd, Hg,
Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and cold
vapor atomic fluorescence (CVAF) methods. The results of analyses showed that the main concentrations of
such toxic metals as Hg, Cd, and Pb were 0.1, 2.40, and 302 mg/kg in the soil samples, and 0.028, 2.7, and
29 mg/kg in the sediment samples, respectively. These values are several times higher than the standards
established by the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers for the Absheron soils. The highest concentrations of
metals were found in soils from the area of a highway and in the sediments of the largest natural lake of the
peninsula, Boyuk, whose shores are subjected predominantly to oil industry’s wastewater. The pollution
index (PI), enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), and ecological risk factor (Ei) were calculated
to assess the level and potential ecological risk of heavy metal pollution. Analysis of the calculated
values of PI, EF, Igeo, and Ei indicate the contribution of anthropogenic sources to heavy metal accumulation
in the soils and sediments of the study area.