Article review employment of trace elements in the environmental geochemistry studies to assess the pollution for selected areas in IRAQ

الملخص EN

An environmental geochemistry review was carried out for selected areas of Iraq.

This review highlights the importance of the presence of toxic trace elements as indicators of environmental pollution in soil, sediment, water, and air.

The most important results of previous studies, 20 years ago, were discussed for the content of toxic trace elements (Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, Pb, Cr, and Cd) for water and sediments soil pollution, and the last 10 years of air pollution for the same elements.

This article is concluded that sediments and soils have relatively more contamination with trace elements than water.

This is due to the fact that the soils had cumulative pollution over a long time and it was adsorbed on clays and organic materials.

Likewise, trace elements are concentrated with heavy minerals' chemical formulas.

Maximum concentrations in recorded studies of Cr (570 ppm).

This was recorded in 2015 in the sediments of Al-Hammar Marsh.

Soils of the capital, Baghdad, are contaminated with Zn (133.3 ppm), Co (30.7 ppm), and Pb (153.7) as a result of urban activities and authigenic the presence of clay minerals and organic matter.

Iraqi agricultural soils are polluted with a high concentration of Ni and Cu, and this confirmed the highest percentage of Ni (193.4 ppm) in the Al-Mishkhab soils in the Najaf area as well as Cu (51.8 ppm) in Ishaqi farms.

The Kirkuk Oil Refinery was a source of soil pollution with Cd with a concentration of (12.6 ppm) concentrations relative to other areas due to combustion products.

The review revealed that Al-Hammar Marsh water symbolizes the most dangerous environmental pollution with studied trace elements Cu (38.4 ppm).

Zn (233 ppm), Co (4.7 ppm), Ni (37.6), Pb (36 ppm), Cr (31 ppm), Cd (0.7 ppm and As (15 ppm).

This is attributed to unsuitable human customs and oil waste in southern Iraq.

The Baiji Industrial district has the maximum air pollution among the other industrial activity areas in Iraq.

It is very evident in the high concentration of Cd (62.2 µg/m3).