Heavy metal contamination in soils of a decommissioned landfill southern Brazil: Ecological and health risk assessment

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2023-10, Vol.339, p.139689-139689, Article 139689
• Main Authors: de Souza, Vinícius Baldo, Hollas, Camila Ester, Bortoli, Marcelo, Manosso, Fernando C., de Souza, Davi Z.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Geochemical indices; Heavy metal pollution; Municipal solid waste; Risk assessment; Soil contamination
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139689

The incorrect disposal of waste negatively influences the population's quality of life and harms the environment. In Brazil, waste disposal in the open air is still a reality, which generates concerns about the contamination of the areas surrounding these dumpsites. The present work evaluated the possible environmental risks of a deactivated dumpsite in southern Brazil. The soil was characterized by physical and chemical tests, emphasizing the analysis of heavy metals Al, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn. Using geostatistical tools, it was possible to determine the distribution of these heavy metals in the influence of the landfill, since the metals Mn, Fe, and Zn showed a significant difference about the reference soil, indicating that they came from leaching from the landfill. The dispersion of the metals along the slope showed a tendency towards mobility since the highest concentrations were at elevations below the landfill. The area was considered contaminated due to the high scores of the evaluated indexes pollution, as the Improved Nemerow Pollution Index, which considers pollutant concentration, toxicity, and environmental impact to provide a measure of contamination, and was equivalent to 6.44, indicating that the area is contaminated. However, it presented low ecological risks, with a potential ecological risk of 18.55. As well as low risks to human health, with hazard index below the limit considered critical to health (HI