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Surface sediment samples were collected from Ziqlab dam in northwestern Jordan to investigate the spatial distribution of selected trace metals and assess their pollution levels. The results showed that the concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Zn exceeded the environmental background values. Cd, Ni, and Cr contents were higher than the threshold effect level (TEL) in 63, 83, and 60 % of the reservoir sediments, respectively; whereas Pb, Zn, and Cu were less than the TEL limit. The concentrations of trace metals in reservoir sediment varied spatially, but their variations showed similar trends. Elevated levels of metals observed in the western part (adjacent to the dam wall) were coincided with higher contents of clay-silt fraction and total organic matters. Multivariate analysis indicated that Pb, Co, and Mn may be related to the lithologic component and/or the application of agrochemicals in the upstream agricultural farms. However, Cd and Zn concentrations were probably elevated due to inputs from agricultural sources, including fertilizers. Evaluation of contamination levels by the Sediment Quality Guidelines of the US-EPA, revealed that sediments were non-polluted to moderately polluted with Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cr, but non-polluted to moderately to heavily polluted with Ni and non-polluted with Mn. The geoaccumulation index showed that Ziqlab sediments were unpolluted with Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Co, and Mn, but unpolluted to moderately polluted with Cd. The high enrichment values for Cd and Pb (>2) indicate their anthropogenic sources, whereas the remaining elements were of natural origins consistent with their low enrichment levels.

Over the last several decades, there has been increased attention on the heavy metal contamination associated with highways because of the associated health hazards and risks. Here, the results are reported of an analysis of the content of metals in roadside dust samples of selected major highways in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. The metals analysed are lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe). In the samples collected, the recorded mean concentrations (in parts per million) are as follows: Cd (0.51), Cu (162), Fe (40,052), Cr (197.9), K (9647.6), Mg (577.4), Ca (102,349), Zn (200.3), Mn (1202.2), Pb (182.8) and Ni (58.8). The mean concentrations for the analysed samples in the study area are almost all higher than the average natural background values for the corresponding metals. The geo-accumulation index of these metals in the roadside dust under study indicates that they are not contaminated with Cr, Mn and Ca; moderately contaminate with Cd and K; strongly contaminated with Fe and Mg; strongly to extremely contaminated with Ni and Pb; and extremely contaminated with Cu and Zn. The pollution load index (PLI) is used to relate pollution to highway conditions, and the results show that PLI values are slightly low at different samples collected from Highways 401 and 404 and high in many samples collected from Highway 400 and the Don Valley Parkway. Highway 400 exhibits the highest PLI values.