ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Characterization of Heavy Metals in Soil
as Affected by Different Land Uses
in Northern Pakistan
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1
Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus,
Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan
2
Department of Environmental Sciences, The University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Submission date: 2022-05-25
Final revision date: 2022-08-23
Acceptance date: 2022-09-17
Online publication date: 2022-12-13
Publication date: 2023-01-12
Corresponding author
Muhammad Fawad
Environmental Sciences, The University of Haripur, Pakistan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2023;32(1):559-566
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ABSTRACT
Land use has a greater influence on the contamination of soils. The current research is conducted
to study the effect of different land-use patterns and soil depth on heavy metal fractions in the soil.
Significant differences among heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in soils under various land
use systems were observed. Variations in the soil heavy metals concentration were found dependent on
land use patterns. Irrespective of the type of metal, Land uses differed for heavy metals concentrations
in the order of fallow>pasture>crop>forest soils. Extracting reagents considerably varied for the
concentrations of metals: HNO3>Na2EDTA>NaOH>KNO3>H2O. However, Ni concentration was
found higher with NaOH than Na2EDTA. Surface soil indicated a higher magnitude of heavy metals
than sub-surface soil. This study will provide valuable information on heavy metal fractions associated
with land use in the Abbottabad region of lesser Himalayas, Pakistan.