Source Apportionment of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil Around a Urea Fertilizer Factory and Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Human Health

The mean concentrations of heavy metals viz: K, Ca, Mg, Ti, Fe, Co, Cu, As, Zn, Rb, Sr, Zr, Pb and Th were measured in soil samples using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) technique and sampling sites as a whole were found highly contaminated by Zn, considerably contaminated by Mg and Pb, while moderately contaminated by Fe, Co, Cu, Rb, Sr, As, Rb, Y, Th. The sampling sites are moderate to strongly polluted by heavy metals according to Enrichment factors value, whereas, Pollution Load Index values for 95% of the sample sites were ≥ 1.5, indicating deterioration of soil quality. Potential Ecological risk (RI) value followed the increasing sequence of Pb > As > Co > Zn > Cu. Non-carcinogenic exposure found higher in children compared to adults,however carcinogenic risk assessment revealed that both groups (adult and children) lied within Grade II category (10− 5 to 10− 6) and considered to be at no risk.