Water-soluble species and heavy metal contamination of the petroleum refinary area, Jordan

Abstract

The levels of lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, aluminum, chromium, and iron in street dust, soil, and plants in the Jordanian petroleum refinery were determined using flame and graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Major cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, NH₄⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺) and anions (F⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, and Br⁻) were also determined using suppression mode ion chromatography. Generally, higher levels of the heavy metals studied were found in street dust samples than in soil samples. On the other hand, except Cl⁻, and Li⁺ ions, other anions and cations showed higher concentrations in soil than in street dust samples. For plant samples, unwashed samples showed higher levels of heavy metals than their washed counterparts, indicating that dust fall is a source of heavy metal contamination.