Environ Monit Assess. 2026 Apr 1;198(4):399. doi: 10.1007/s10661-026-15238-9.
ABSTRACT
Cement manufacturing releases potentially toxic metals into the surrounding environment, raising notable ecological and public health concerns. In this study, soils collected around a major cement facility in Obajana, Nigeria were analyzed for Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Pb, and Sr using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Soil pH and particle-size distribution were also assessed to evaluate factors influencing metal mobility. Among the analyzed metals, Fe exhibited the highest abundance, followed by Sr, Pb, Cr, Co, and Cd. Measured concentrations were generally within the international guideline limit, although spatial variations reflected the hot zone of the metal concentration distribution in the study area. Relative enrichment assessed using enrichment factor (EF) indicated minor to considerable enrichment (EF = 1-20), suggesting contribution from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Contamination factor (CF) values ranged from moderate to very high contamination (CF < 1: 3 ≤ CF ≥ 6), while pollution load index (PLTI) values (2.34-5.00) indicated overall decline in soil quality. The Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) results further revealed strongly polluted cobalt levels (4.25-4.66), with the remaining metals falling within the low-to-moderate contamination range. The health risk assessment showed higher exposure risks for children than for adults. Hazard index (HI) values for adults and children remained below one, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic risk in the study area. Total carcinogenic risk values for both age groups fall within the acceptable threshold of 1.0E – 04 to 1.0E – 06. The Statistical evaluation pointed to both natural and anthropogenic emissions via cement-related activities as the source of these metals.
PMID:41922869 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-026-15238-9
