| Abstract: | Chemical and physical size fractionation of heavy metals were carried out on 20 soil samples from the scrap yard area. Tessier
method was used in sequential extraction. Cadmium showed the highest levels among the other elements studied in the exchangeable
fraction (about 33%), while other elements showed low levels in this fraction (≥1%). Lead and manganese were mostly found
in the Fe–Mn oxide fraction, zinc and iron were mostly in residual fraction, while copper was mostly found in the organic
fraction of the soil. Soil samples were size-fractionated into four sizes: 1000–500, 500–125, 125–53, and less than 53 μm.
The highest levels of Fe, Cu, Pb, Mn, and Cd were found in the medium fraction (500–125 μm), while zinc showed its highest
levels in the fine fraction (125–53 μm). The order of heavy metal load in the size fractions was found to be medium > fine
> coarse > silt for Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Cd, where it was found as fine > medium > coarse > silt for zinc. |
