Heavy metals contamination of rainwater is a function of the adsorbed metals present in the particulates of the atmosphere in which the rain was formed from and rainwater chemistry is an alternative way of monitoring urban air pollution for predominant metal species. Three distinct sampling sites (residential, industrial and commercial) were investigated in the south western part of Nigeria for one year. After acid digestion, quantification was done using a double-beam Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The obtained results showed that heavy metals were predominantly present as free metal ion in the commercial and industrial areas but Mn and As mainly occurred in the suspended fraction. Residential area presented major fractions as bound to organic complexes except Cu and Cd which were principally available as suspended fraction. The health risks associated with the intake of the studied rainwaters indicated susceptibility to possible carcinogens upon consumption due to total RI > 10-4. Ecological risk assessment equally shown a very high level of ecological risks related with the metals due to RI ˃ 600. Sequel upon this, there is need for better sensitization of the citizenry to the sources and control of these pollutants.

This study was carried out to 1. determine spatial variations of heavy metal deposition in agricultural soils of two rural communities (OuledBouAicha and Tazakourte) of about 5790 ha in a mining area near Marrakech city in Morocco; 2. to assess the extent of metallic pollution generated by the mining activity and; 3. to identify the key mechanism responsible for this contamination and its relation to mining activity. Soil pollution assessment was carried out on one hand by measurement of the total metal concentration and on the other hand by studying four heavy metals speciation of the studied soils. The chemical forms of four heavy metals in soils around DraaLasfar mine were studied by determining soil Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn species using standard solvent extraction and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric techniques. The chemical pools of the metals indicated that the metals were distributed into six fractions with most of them residing in the non-residual fractions thus suggesting how readily the metals are released into the environment. Considering that the metals occur in the most available forms, we suggested that it is most likely that the metals must have been derived from anthropogenic sources especially from the mining activity in the studied region.

The entrance of Cd (II) to aqueous environments causes a major problem to human health. The current article examines the efficiency of TiO2 and γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles in Cd (II) removal from aqueous medium as influenced by different chemical factors, such as pH, initial concentration, background electrolyte, and ionic strength, in accordance with standard experimental methods. It conducts Batch experiments, fitting various isotherm models (Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich) to the equilibrium data. Saturation indices (SI) of TiO2 and γ-Al2O3 nanosorbents indicate that adsorption is a predominant mechanism for Cd (II) removal from aqueous solution, giving maximum Cd (II) adsorption rates of 3348 and 1173 mg/kg for TiO2 and γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles, respectively, both obtained at the highest pH level (pH = 8) as well as the highest initial Cd (II) concentration (equal to 80 mg/ L). Cadmium removal efficiency with TiO2 and γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles has increased by raising pH from 6 to 8. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm model could fit the experimental equilibrium data well at different pH levels. Also, it has been revealed that cadmium adsorption drops as the ionic strength is increased. The maximum Cd (II) adsorption (1625 mg/kg) has been attained at 0.01 M ionic strength in the presence of NaCl. Thermodynamic calculations demonstrate the spontaneous nature of Cd (II) adsorption by TiO2 and γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles. The former (TiO2) have high adsorption capacities, suggesting they are probably effective metal sorbents, compared to the latter (γ-Al2O3).