Status of soil heavy metals contamination using contamination indices in shallot fields

¹ Graduate School of Environmental Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Pogung Sinduadi Yogyakarta 55284, Indonesia
² Indonesian Agricultural Environment Research Institute, Jl. Jakenan-Jaken KM 5, Pati, Central Java, Indonesia
³ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesi
⁴ Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
⁵ Department of Environmental Geography, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Sekip Utara, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: ekohanudin@ugm.ac.id

Abstract

Monitoring and assessment of heavy metal concentrations in shallot fields are needed to evaluate the potential risk of contamination due to heavy metals. This study aims to define the status of heavy metal contamination in shallot fields using contamination indices. A total of 184 soil samples (0-20 cm) were taken from shallot fields in Brebes Regency, Central Java. The soil samples were analyzed for the concentration of five heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Co) with HNO3 and HClO4 extracts and measured using AAS. Assessment of the status of heavy metals contamination in the soil using contaminant factor (CF), geo-accumulation index (I-geo), and pollution load index (PLI). The mean concentration in shallot fields showed the following order Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cd and the concentration were still below critical limit values. Four metals are Pb, Cr, Co, and Ni are low contamination (CF<1), while Cd is considerable until very high contamination factor. Based on I-geo values, shallot fields are practically uncontaminated of Pb, Co, Ni, and Cr (I-geo<1), meanwhile the status of Cd is uncontaminated to moderately contaminated (0<I-geo<1). Generally, the shallot fields in Brebes Regency, Central Java is unpolluted with five metals (PLI<1).