Ecotoxicological and Human Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Metal Pollution in Urban Soils in Northwest Türkiye

In this study, the soils in the Biga district's center, which are exposed to various anthropogenic effects, were examined. A total of 26 soil samples were obtained from the urban soils in five land-use types in Biga (Çanakkale, NW Türkiye). The study aims to determine the concentration of toxic metals (TMs) in soils of the study area, to evaluate the ecological and health risk assessment, to determine the sources of TMs. To determine TMs concentrations in soils, wet-digestion samples were analyzed using an ICP-OES device. TM concentrations (unit in mg kg-1) were listed as follows: Fe (159245±87136) > Al (89540 ± 56535) > Mn (45095 ±27871) > Zn (5660±6244) > Cu (2940±3602) > Pb (1134±1528) > Ni (1117±1094) > Cr (175±118.3) > Co (0.71±2.16) > Cd (0.15±0.25). EF values for Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mn in soils are extremely high; Igeo values for Mn and Zn are in the moderately to heavily contaminated class; in terms of CF, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni, and Pb are in the very high contamination class; PLI values for Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn are in the high contamination class (between 8.60 E-31 and 3.57E+21). Er1 is in the very high-risk class for Cu. HQ ingestion values in both children and adults are high risk for some TMs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn); HQ inhalation value is high-risk only in Mn; HQ dermal value is high-risk for some TMs (Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb). HI values pose a health risk in some TMs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) for both children and adults. Al, Cr, Fe, Mn, Cu in the area were caused by natural factors, and some (Ni, Pb, Cd, and Zn) were caused by anthropogenic factors. The distribution of each TMs in the area also varied according to land use.