Estimate the Rate of Pollution by Heavy Metals Luma Naji Mohammed Tawfiq* & Saad Ali Ahmed ** College of Education for pure science-Ibn Al-Haitham, Baghdad University.
* dr.lumanaji@yahoo.com , ** saadeng2004@gmail.com Abstract In this paper the concentrations of heavy metals such: lead, chromium, nickel and cadmium, were measured in the zones of Baghdad city in Iraq thought to be deeply contaminated at depth (030 cm) to estimate the rate of pollution in soil. A total of 36 samples of the soil were collected from different zones such: residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural and main roads. The measurements of heavy metals got by ICP-MS technique. Then the results were compared with standard levels of these Heavy metals in the soil. A newer engineering recommended solutions are also discussed and suggested for the waste water treatment. Keywords: Pollution, Heavy metals, Accumulation, semiconductors, photoelectric, Baghdad soil
1. Introduction The urban surfaces receive deposits issued from many sources such as vehicle emissions, industrial discharges, energy production, waste disposal, and other human anthropogenic activities The high population density of Baghdad city, means a high intensive anthropogenic activities The estimated population of Baghdad city in July 2011 is 5.751 million persons with a growth rate of 2.399%. (Omer, 2011) Pollution generates heavy metals contamination for urban and agricultural soils. Heavy metals also occur naturally, but rarely at toxic levels. Potentially contaminated soils may occur at old landfill sites (particularly those that accepted industrial wastes), old orchards that used insecticides containing arsenic as an active ingredient, fields that had past applications of waste water or municipal sludge ,areas in or around mining waste piles and tailings, industrial areas where chemicals may have been dumped on the ground, or in areas downwind from industrial sites ( Donahue,S., and Dr.Auburn, 2000). When using the contaminated soil to produce food by various crop plants, as the easy entry of these elements in the food chain, which increases the risk to human health. (JankaitÄ—, 2009) The most important elements must disappeared from the soil are lead and cadmium, as they are very significant impact on human health where the cadmium is very toxic elements for humans, the inhalation (0.04) mg / kg lead to symptoms of headache, cough, chest pain may lead to death, as the ingestion of 1 g of cadmium produces vomiting and pain in the head, but for the lead must follow it continuously high for the threat to the environment for entering in many industries the most important of the battery industry and motor gasoline, pesticides and lead an impact on physiological processes in the human body to children and has the effect of risk the emergence of embryonic as it leads to the accumulation causes mental retardation or toppling when pregnant (Raymond et al, 2011), (Ayeni, , et al,, 2010).