Impacts of Cement Dust Deposition on Heavy Metal Pollution in Soil and Barley Crop Grown Around Abyssinia Cement Factory, Ethiopia

Abstract

Different researches showed that cement manufacturing is one of the significant sources of heavy metal pollution in soil. In this study, heavy metals pollution in soil and barley crop grown around Abyssinia cement factory were investigated. A total of 36 soil samples and 22 barley sample were collected and analyzed at Holetta Chemistry Laboratory. The parameters analyzed in soil sample includes: Available heavy metals, total heavy metals and major physico-chemical properties. Dry ashing method was used to determine the level of heavy metals in barley sample. Analysis for the concentration of heavy metals were conducted using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. One-way ANOVA were used to compare the mean values between experimental treatments with SPSS statistical software. The Geo-accumulation Index and transfer factor of each heavy metal were computed and interpreted. The Igeo values are below zero indicates that the soil quality is practically unpolluted. The results in soil physico-chemical properties showed that neutral to moderately alkaline soil pH, clay to clay loam soil texture, medium to high category of phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. The values of heavy metals transfer factors are below one indicates that the crop have not influenced by heavy metals that uptaked from cement dust polluted fields. The levels of heavy metals determined  in  the  analyzed  barley samples  also found  to  be  below  the  permissible  limit  set  by  FAO/WHO; hence, the concentration of these heavy metals in the barley crop analyzed, may not presently pose a health hazard and can as well serve as sources of essential trace metals to the population.

Keywords: Heavy metals, Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, pollution indices, transfer factor

DOI: 10.7176/CMR/11-2-01