Using Topsoil Analysis to Determine and Map Changes in Ni Co Pollution

Abstract

The change in soil quality due to soil pollution significantly affects the ecosystem. The pollutants in the air also pass to the soil after a while, and therefore the soil is also the environment that best reflects the pollution level. Heavy metals are among soil and environmental pollutants; they are especially notorious because many of them can be toxic to living things even at low concentrations, tend to bioaccumulate in living things, and stay in nature for a long time. Therefore, monitoring heavy metal concentrations is of great importance. In this study, it is aimed to determine and map the Ni and Co pollution with the help of top soils in the city center. Top soil samples were taken from these regions and Ni and Co analyses were made, and the obtained values were evaluated statistically. Additionally, the data were transferred to geographic information systems (GIS) using ArcGIS 10.7 software, and then modeled with the kriging method, one of the interpolation methods, and pollution maps were created. As a result of the study, it was determined that the areas with the highest Ni and Co concentrations were generally located in the center of the study area. This shows that Ni and Co pollution increases in areas with high levels of human activities.