A statistical approach to study the spatial heavy metal distribution in soils in the Kushk Mine, Iran

The present study was conducted for the spatial distribution and concentration evaluation of heavy metals, including Cu, Cd, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Pb, within 102 soil samples collected from Kushk Mine in Bafgh, Iran. This work employed hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and spatial distribution patterns, to perform element distribution evaluation within the area. The distributions of heavy metals in the entire area were exhibited in the form of maps. The average concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Pb were found to be 0.39, 0.26, 5.3, 4.1, 51.9, and 40.9 mg.kg(-1), respectively. Based on the PCA and HCA findings, the heavy metals were divided into two groups. The first group included Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu. In the first group, altered threshold-surpassing anthropogenic and lithogenic pollution was found to be the main factor accounting for Pb and Zn. The second group involved Fe and Mn, which could be impacted by either anthropogenic and lithogenic factors. Furthermore, the geo-statistical results demonstrated higher contents of the heavy metals in the south of the mine and in the vicinity of the mine tailings. It may be concluded from the results that the heavy metal contents of the area are impacted by anthropogenic and lithogenic factors.

Automated summary

This study evaluates the spatial distribution and concentration of heavy metals in soil samples from the Kushk Mine in Bafgh, Iran. Hierarchical clustering analysis, principal component analysis, and spatial distribution patterns were used to assess the distribution of elements in the area. The analysis reveals that heavy metals can be divided into two groups, with lead, cadmium, zinc, and copper influenced by anthropogenic and lithogenic pollution, and iron and manganese impacted by both factors. Higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in the south of the mine and near the tailings.