Soil gechemistry of Batman city center

Upper Miocene-Lower Pliocene aged Selmo Formation consists of conglomerate, sandstone and siltstone lays down in Batman city center. Geological properties of soil and alluvium sediments are obtained on specimens collected from adjacent area. The heavy metal pollution levels of the samples are investigated and pollution distributions of the Batman city center specified. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution index (PI) calculations are performed within the scope of pollution assessment. Pollution and element distribution maps are created on geographical information system softwares. Geo-accumulation index results show contamination values ranging from contaminated- moderately contaminated to extremely-very extremely contaminated. As, Sb and Mo contents of the samples present extreme to very extreme levels of contamination. Samples show enrichment factor ranges between slight to extreme. Some of the samples have very extreme enrichment in terms of As and Sb elements. The samples offer pollution index values ranges between low to very high. Similarly, As, Mo and Sb elements have very high pollution index values. Geo-accumulation index, enrichment factor and pollution index values used for pollution calculations, and it is found that different degrees of pollution were observed (especially high values in As, Sb, Mo) in soil samples belonging to city center of Batman. High pollution value for an element does not always mean it can cause health hazard. Comparisons of the values of the study area values with the standards such as Soil Pollution Control Regulation and WHO, it is determined that only the element Arsenic is above the health permissible exposure limit.