The emission of pollutants from human activities in industrial zones poses significant challenges to air quality and soil health, particularly in semi-arid environments.
Utilizing 56 sampling stations and geostatistical modeling, this study conducted a comprehensive, multi-pathway assessment of lead (Pb) dynamics in the ambient air and surface soil of the Salafchegan Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Iran.
The results revealed a marked disparity between atmospheric Pb levels (mean: 12.88 µg/m³) and concentrations in the soil (mean: 3.05 mg/kg).
The OK-based maps revealed significant heterogeneity (CV = 58.36%) and identified industrial hotspots.
These results show that local climatic factors strongly influence the environmental fate of Pb, indicating the need for targeted air quality management and regular monitoring around industrial zones.
The emission of pollutants from human activities in industrial zones poses significant challenges to air quality and soil health, particularly in semi-arid environments. Utilizing 56 sampling stations and geostatistical modeling, this study conducted a comprehensive, multi-pathway assessment of lead (Pb) dynamics in the ambient air and surface soil of the Salafchegan Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Iran. The results revealed a marked disparity between atmospheric Pb levels (mean: 12.88 µg/m³) and concentrations in the soil (mean: 3.05 mg/kg). This discrepancy is attributed to the region’s high wind energy (DPt = 936), which causes the resuspension of deposited dust and limits Pb accumulation in surface soil, effectively retaining the metal in the atmospheric phase. Both Ordinary Kriging (OK) and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) produced comparable prediction errors in cross-validation; however, OK was selected for final mapping because it provides a measure of prediction uncertainty (kriging variance) and accounts for spatial autocorrelation. The OK-based maps revealed significant heterogeneity (CV = 58.36%) and identified industrial hotspots. A probabilistic health risk assessment, conducted via Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations, indicated that the total non-carcinogenic risk remained below the permissible Hazard Index threshold (HI < 1); however, children consistently demonstrated greater vulnerability than adults to exposure to this pollutant. These results show that local climatic factors strongly influence the environmental fate of Pb, indicating the need for targeted air quality management and regular monitoring around industrial zones.
