Environ Monit Assess. 2026 Jun 6;198(7):691. doi: 10.1007/s10661-026-15538-0.
ABSTRACT
This investigation aims to assess surface soil contamination by heavy metals in the new city of Ali Mendjeli (Constantine, Algeria). The methodological approach is based on energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), associated with multivariate statistical tools and pollution indices (enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index ( ), and contamination factor (CF)), in order to characterize the contamination levels and identify potential sources of pollution. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of trace metallic elements. These mainly consist of the following elements: chromium, zinc, nickel, and lead, with average concentrations exceeding the limit values set by the AFNOR U44-04 regulations. Moreover, no copper contamination was observed. The EF values indicate moderate pollution for Ni, Cr, Pb, and Zn, and low pollution for Cu. Meanwhile, the positive values of varied between 0 and 2 for Cr, Ni, Zn, and Pb indicate low to moderate contamination, confirming the consistency between the pollution indices. On the other hand, the CF values for Cr, Zn, Ni, and Pb, ranging between 1 and 6, indicate moderate to high contamination, mainly of anthropogenic origin. Principal component analysis (PCA), coupled with hierarchical clustering (HC), indicates that the main sources of heavy metal contamination come from agricultural activities, metallurgical industries, gravel quarries, waste incineration, and road traffic.
PMID:42250167 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-026-15538-0
