Assessment of soil quality parameters around Rajpura Dariba mining region, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

The present study is designed to assess the soil quality in the region near Rajpura Dariba concerning metal contamination. For the research, soil samples were collected from croplands near the mining area during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons and analysed for quality parameters and metal content. These soil samples were examined for the chemical values of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and quality parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), chloride (Cl-), fluoride (F-), and others. The results indicate that the soil samples are highly contaminated with heavy metals, and the physicochemical parameters deviate from the standard values set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Indian Standard. Thus, this area is unsuitable for agriculture and other domestic uses.