Groundwater is vital to subsurface ecosystems and to maintaining water supplies for human and environmental needs. Heavy metal pollution of water bodies poses a significant threat to environmental health and human well-being. In this paper, a detailed spatiotemporal analysis of heavy metal pollution at a network of 35 sampling sites is presented for the summer, autumn, and winter seasons. The water samples were analyzed based on the concentration (μg/L) of eight priority metals, such as Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Chromium VI (Cr-VI), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), as well as Iron (Fe). Measuring contamination levels, identifying space hotspots, and explaining seasonal variations were the key tasks. The results show that Fe, Zn, and Cu concentrations are consistently high across seasons, with mean values ranging from 234.3 to 253.2 µg/L (Fe), 163.2 to 175.6 µg/L (Zn), and 107.0 to 109.2 µg/L (Cu), indicating a widespread geogenic or diffuse source. The most significant seasonal deviation was observed in the fall when there were unusually high levels of Cd and Hg, with mean concentrations reaching 0.476 µg/L and 0.312 µg/L, respectively, suggesting a strong seasonal contamination event or mobilization process. The spatial analysis showed that the locations (e.g., L6, L8, L10, L28, L29) exhibited common hotspots for different metals, with maximum concentrations reaching up to 793.3 µg/L (Fe), 602.3 µg/L (Zn), and 508 µg/L (Cu). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) effectively separated seasonal trends and classified metals into anthropogenic (Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr (VI)) and geogenic/diffuse (Fe, Zn, Cu) groups. The health risk assessment indicated no significant non-carcinogenic risk, although children are more vulnerable, while arsenic levels in winter approached the upper acceptable carcinogenic limit (up to 1.1 × 10−4). Overall, the study highlights the importance of multi-seasonal monitoring by capturing temporally abrupt contamination events and provides a novel integrated framework that combines seasonal analysis, spatial hotspot identification, and multivariate techniques, distinguishing it from conventional single-season or non-integrated studies.
Aim of the study
This study addresses the growing concern of water pollution in rural areas, where limited monitoring can affect both human health and ecosystem stability. Contamination of freshwater resources has become an important environmental and public health issue, prompting the need for detailed local assessments. This study assesses pollution status and water quality in Baicë village, Kosovo, a rural area where limited monitoring can affect both human health and ecosystem stability.
Material and methods
Groundwater samples were analyzed for key physicochemical parameters and heavy metals, including Cr, Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, and Cd. The results revealed significantly elevated concentrations of lead at all sampling points (M1: 0.27 mg/L, M2: 0.25 mg/L, M3: 0.29 mg/L), exceeding recommended limits and indicating serious contamination. Elevated levels of other parameters, including COD and BOD5, further suggest anthropogenic impacts on water quality.
Results and conclusions
Toxic element levels, including Cr, Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, and Cd, were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), providing additional insights into contamination. Furthermore, geospatial analysis using GIS and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation generated contamination hotspot maps, revealing spatial variations and helping identify priority areas for targeted remediation efforts. However, due to the limited number of sampling locations and temporal coverage, the results should be considered a preliminary assessment and further monitoring is recommended to improve the understanding of groundwater contamination patterns in the study area.
Kaltrina Jusufi, Skender Demaku, Krenare Dibrani et al.· Acta Scientiarum Polonorum....· 0 citations
The present study concerns the geographical assessment of atmospheric airborne heavy metals in the main monitoring stations of Baghdad during the months of May and June 2025. The heavy metals of interest are Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Air samples were collected with standardized one hour sniffer-based sampling, and the levels of heavy metals were determined in a laboratory. Geostatistical mapping and spatial interpolation were used to visualize distribution patterns and pollution hotspots across the metropolitan landscape. Results show a clear spatiotemporal variability driven by sources of legacy contamination, seasonal weather, industrial pollutants and traffic intensity. In both months, high atmospheric dispersion of river-channel airflow dynamics resulted in continually lower levels of heavy metals in the areas along the Tigris River, especially in central Al-Karkh and parts of Al-Khadimiya. However, high Zn concentrations, above 14 ppm in May, were observed near Karadaa and Al-Zafaraniya where there is a lot of traffic, construction and private generator use. Most of the metals showed higher concentrations in May (e.g., Cr: 0.84–2.31 ppm) than in June (0.231–1.16 ppm) which can be indicative of seasonal changes in air stability and emission strength. Fe showed the opposite trend, increasing from 4.05-9.91 ppm in May to 6.06-10.2 ppm in June. This increase was probably because of stronger summer winds and increased dust resuspension. Furthermore, spatial maps show much lower Fe concentrations along the Tigris corridor, supporting the moderating effect of dispersion due to river transport. The results show the combined impact of seasonal weather patterns and anthropogenic emissions on airborne metal pollution in Baghdad and highlight the urgent need for focused air quality control measures in high exposure areas
As a typical historical mining city, Daye, Hubei, faces potential heavy metal migration risks from legacy mining activities. This study conducted a grid-based survey in 2020, analyzing 389 soil and 137 water samples using the Nemerow Pollution Index (NPI) and spatial statistics to assess pollution and transfer mechanisms. Results show that soils were significantly contaminated (average NPI = 5.40), with 71.03% of samples exceeding the pollution threshold (NPI > 1), whereas surface water (0.18) and groundwater (0.11) maintained good quality. Despite limited direct soil migration, atmospheric wet deposition was identified as the probably dominant pathway driving higher concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, and As in surface water than in groundwater (e.g., on average, Cu and Cd levels in surface water were ~1.7-fold and ~5-fold those in groundwater, respectively, all well below Class III limits of national water quality standards). This study clarifies the mechanism protecting water bodies amid severe soil contamination and provides a scientific basis for integrated soil–water management in post-mining regions.
Hai-Ning Tao, Boheng Chen, Qing Wang et al.· Water· 0 citations
The contamination of groundwater by trace metals is a significant concern on global scale as it presents direct and indirect hazards to the ecosystem and human health. However, only limited studies have focused on the risks of trace metals’ contamination in major agronomical areas of Pakistan. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the concentrations of selected metals (Mg, K, Ca, Na, Sr, Ag, Li, Zn, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni) and physicochemical characteristics (EC, pH, TDS, TH, TA, and Cl−) in the groundwater of Southern Pothohar region of Pakistan. Significant seasonal variations in the metal concentrations were detected; average levels of Ni (0.206 mg/L), Cr (0.085 mg/L), Cu (0.038 mg/L), Mn (0.029 mg/L), Ag (0.026 mg/L), and Cd (0.017 mg/L) were comparatively higher in summer, whereas mean values of Ca (9.210 mg/L), Sr (2.181 mg/L), Co (0.195 mg/L), Li (0.033 mg/L), and Zn (0.025 mg/L) showed relatively elevated concentrations in winter. Average contents of Co, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni were observed to surpass the permissible limits in 37–99% of the samples established by national and international standards. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed that groundwater contamination was predominantly influenced by anthropogenic sources (mostly originating from agricultural waste, domestic waste, combustion processes, industrial effluents and automobile emissions). The Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) value demonstrated that the groundwater is highly suitable for irrigation. Health risk estimation revealed that noncancer risk for Cd, Cr Ni, and Li surpassed the safe limit (HQing > 1) for adults while Pb and Co exceeded the safe limit (1.0) for children and adults in both seasons. Overall, the study indicated more susceptibility of children than adults to noncarcinogenic risks. Additionally, the carcinogenic health risks for nickel, chromium, lead, and cadmium notably exceeded the acceptable threshold of 1.0 × 10− 06, indicating significant lifetime cancer risk linked to these metals in groundwater. The health concerns warrant urgent attention, and immediate actions are necessary to safeguard and improve the groundwater quality in the studied region.
Maryam Batool, M. Toqeer, M. Shah· Discover Hazards· 0 citations
Heavy metal contamination of soil and groundwater is one of the most significant global issues affecting food security and food safety. Alarming statistics report high levels of soil contamination worldwide and several studies have documented the mechanisms by which plants bioaccumulate heavy metals. This bibliometric research study is the first step toward summarising the existing scientific literature and suggesting next steps for evaluating advances in modelling the transport of heavy metals in agricultural soils and their leaching into groundwater. Several numerical models have validated the phenomenon. For example, the multiple linear regression (MLR) model is effective in predicting mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni), but not copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr). In comparison, the models constructed by Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosted Machine (GBM) were able to predict the bioaccumulation factors of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Hg and Cd well. Furthermore, most studies report high heavy metal concentrations in the study areas, exceeding international standards several times, indicating the absence of public control policies. This review highlights that future studies must address several persistent limitations; for example, many authors suggest using bioavailable heavy metal content instead of total content. However, the authors of this review believe that this report provides new insights for policymaking related to heavy metal pollution in soil-crop ecosystems and food security.
R. Steven, B. Hernán· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
Dong Nai Province, located in southeastern Vietnam, has experienced rapid industrial and agricultural development, accompanied by increasing pressure on groundwater resources. Excessive groundwater extraction raises concerns regarding water quality, agricultural sustainability, and public health. This study assessed groundwater contamination by nitrate, selected heavy metals, and bacterial indicators across the province. A total of 55 ground-water samples were analyzed for nitrate, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), total coliforms, and Escherichia coli ( E. coli ). The mean nitrate concentration was 18.02 mg/L, with the highest levels observed in Bien Hoa City. Lead contamination was widespread, exceeding drinking-water standards at several locations, while elevated As and Cd concentrations were detected only at a limited number of sites. Bacterial contamination, indicated by total coliforms and E. coli , was detected in multiple districts, particularly in Long Khanh. Although the results primarily indicate associations rather than direct causal relationships, they highlight potential risks to groundwater used for domestic supply and agricultural irrigation. The findings provide evidence to support im - proved groundwater monitoring, agricultural water management, and policy development aimed at safeguarding rural livelihoods and sustainable agricultural development in Dong Nai Province.
V. Ho, D. Tran, T. Ngo et al.· Journal of Ecological Engine...· 0 citations
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