Assessment the Pb, Cu and Cd Deposition at Southern Bypass Roadside Soil in Damascus-Syria

Abstract

Contamination of heavy metals represents one of the most pressing threats to water and soil resources as well as human health, and the Assessment the Pb, Cu and Cd deposition was studied by analyzing soil samples, where have been collected from one site located near the Damascus Homs highway in Damascus-Syria (Southern Bypass road), Sampling plots were marked in each area at 5, 10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45 , 50 and 100 meters distance from the road, Three soil samples were taken from each distance in all selected sites, and all samples were analyzed first for soil texture, organic matter and pH then the samples have been digested and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer for total metal concentrations. The results indicated that soils of study area were clay loamy and it was basic in nature. Where total soil Pb, Cu, and Cd concentrations varied from 62.56, 13.55 and 2.11 To 0.021, 0.12 and 0.00 mg kg⁻¹ respectively. The highest heavy metals concentration was found at a distance of 5 meters from the road, and contents of metals tended to decrease with increasing distance from the highway, where the lowest concentration at 100 meter. The results showed that the soil near the highway had significant enrichment, particularly in Pb, and to a lesser extent with Cu and Cd. Dependence on the obtained results of heavy metals, the more we move away from the side of road, the fewer ratios of heavy metals will be obtained, and therefore safer distance for growing crops.