Assessment of Metal Pollution of the Surface Sediments along the Wadi Al Rayyan area, Jordan
Seventy surface sediment samples were collected from Wadi Al Rayyan area. These samples were extracted by Ammonium-Acetate-EDTA, and analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometer to determine their metal concentrations of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni. XRF was used to analyze CaO wt%, and XRD was used to determine the mineral composition. The chemical analyses of the samples show an enrichment of Cu, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni along the Wadi Rayyan from upstream to downstream, but valuable concentrations of Zn and Fe were found along the Wadi. To evaluate the level of contamination for the surface sediments of Wadi Al Rayyan in this study, the Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation index (Igeo), Pollution Index (PI) and Pollution Load Index (PLI) have been used. EF shows the surface sediments to be moderately-to-strongly polluted and strongly-to-extremely polluted with Cu, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni. In regard to Zn, the sediments are moderately polluted, and significantly polluted with Mn and Cr. Igeo values for Zn, Fe, and Mn reveal the sediments to be unpolluted (0 < Igeo ? 1), while they are moderately polluted (1 < Igeo ? 2) with Cu, Cd, and Cr, and strongly polluted (2 < Igeo ? 3) with Ni and Pb. PI for Zn, Fe, and Cd shows a low level of pollution (PI < 1), a high level of pollution (PI ? 3) with Cu, Pb, Cr and Ni, and a middle level pollution (PI ? 1) with Mn. The PLI values for Wadi Al Rayyan sediments were found to be less than 1 (PLI<1), thus, revealing that the surface sediments are unpolluted with respect to Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni. These metals can be derived from anthropogenic sources, such as fertilizers and pesticides used in agricultural activities.
Publishing Year
2019