Spatial distribution and source identification of major and trace elements in topsoil from Erbil region, Iraq

This paper examined a total of 103 samples that were collected from various land usage in the Erbil area, Northern Iraq. These samples were sieved with 850 µm and analyzed by ICP-MS for the spread of 26 trace elements including some major elements such as Al, Ca, Mg and Fe. The research sought to determine the breadth of human pollution and anthropogenic input in the area, where a variety of industrial and economic operations, transit, and natural temperature variables may all add to pollution. Statistical tactics like mean, median, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, and multidimensional statistical approaches were utilized to analyze the analysis data. To determine trace element amounts at unmeasured sites, the inverse distance weighted (IDW) extrapolation technique was used. The levels of Ag, Be, Cu, Mo, Ni, Sb and Zn in the studied soil samples were found to be greater than the acceptable boundaries established by the Iraqi Ministry of Environment. For evaluating the scope of human pollution, the enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) were computed. The findings revealed that the enrichment factor (EF) values for trace elements in topsoil samples were mostly greater than 2, indicating moderate to exceptionally high enrichment, with Be, Ca, Cd, Cu, Mo and Zn having the greatest enrichment factor values in the study. According to the Igeo categorization, some trace elements, like Cu, Mo, Sb, and Zn, were mildly to highly polluted. The influence of different land uses on studied elements were investigated through the Kruskal–Wallis H test. This research emphasizes the importance of efficient industrial area manufacturing, transit administration and landfill management for reducing the negative impacts on the ecosystem and human health in the Erbil area. The study also aimed at the contamination stratus of the analyzed elements.