Indices of soil contamination by heavy metals – methodology of calculation for pollution assessment (minireview)

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 189; no. 12; p. 616
• Main Authors: Weissmannová, Helena Doležalová, Pavlovský, Jiří
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Contamination; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental assessment; Environmental Management; Heavy metals; Industrial areas; Metal concentrations; Metals; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Pollution; Pollution index; Soil; Soil contamination; Soil pollution; Soil quality; Toxicity; Soils; Sources of pollution; Single indices; Total complex indices; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6340-5

This article provides the assessment of heavy metal soil pollution with using the calculation of various pollution indices and contains also summarization of the sources of heavy metal soil pollution. Twenty described indices of the assessment of soil pollution consist of two groups: single indices and total complex indices of pollution or contamination with relevant classes of pollution. This minireview provides also the classification of pollution indices in terms of the complex assessment of soil quality. In addition, based on the comparison of metal concentrations in soil-selected sites of the world and used indices of pollution or contamination in soils, the concentration of heavy metal in contaminated soils varied widely, and pollution indices confirmed the significant contribution of soil pollution from anthropogenic activities mainly in urban and industrial areas.