Seasonal Variations in Pollutant Concentrations and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Atmospheric Dust of Yazd City
2025
Soltani-Gerdefaramarzi, Somayeh
Dust deposition is widespread in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. Because of Yazd is one of the industrial cities of Iran, where there are various steel, tile, and ceramic factories and industries around it. This study was conducted to investigate heavy element pollution in the atmospheric dust of Yazd city. Dust samples were collected seasonally from the fall of 2017 to the summer of 2018 at 30 locations, using sediment traps placed on the roofs of single-story buildings. Determination of the concentration of heavy elements and evaluation of indicators of heavy metal pollution, including the Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo), the Integrated Nemerow Pollution Index (INPI), the Integrated Pollution Index (IPI), and the Modified Ecological Risk Index (MRI), to assess the level and extent of environmental pollution and dust were calculated in the area. According to the cumulative pollution index results, the fall and winter seasons had a high pollution index, and the spring and summer seasons had an average amount of pollution. According to the Nimru comprehensive pollution index, arsenic, cadmium, and zinc are in the heavy pollution class, with average values of 7.8, 3.7, and 6.9, respectively. The average values of the accumulation indices were Zn>Cr>Cu>Pb>As>Co>Fe>Ni>Mn>Cd. The modified ecological risk index results were between 300 and 600 in all seasons; therefore, the region was placed in the category of considerable ecological risk.
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