ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Soil Sci.
Sec. Soil Pollution & Remediation
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsoil.2025.1638448
Quantitative evaluation of potentially toxic elements and associated risks in Acrisols and Ferralsols of western Ghana
Provisionally accepted
- 1Other, Benguerir, Morocco
- 2Universite Mohammed VI Polytechnique, Ben Guerir, Morocco
- 3Universite Cadi Ayyad, Marrakesh, Morocco
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This study investigates the natural distribution of potentially toxic elements in western Ghana as affected by soil types (i.e. Acrisols and Ferralsols). Correspondingly, geo-accumulation indices (Igeo), Enrichment Factor (EF) and risk index (RI) were computed to evaluate the soil pollution classes. Furthermore, the soil quality index (SQI) was calculated to appraise the soil quality effect on soil pollution hazard. The study revealed a subtle difference in contamination patterns. According to (Igeo), Acrisols exhibited slightly elevated values for elements such as Se, Mo, Fe, and Ti, suggesting localized enrichment possibly linked to natural processes or minor external inputs. In contrast, Ferralsols showed moderate Igeo values for Cr and Ni, indicating some degree of enrichment consistent with parent material characteristics. (EF) values for all elements in both soil types were below 2, classifying them as "depletion to minimal enrichment," which confirms that the elemental concentrations are predominantly of geogenic origin and not due to anthropogenic inputs. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) effectively distinguished the two soil types: Acrisols were associated with higher trace metal concentrations and greater organic matter content, while Ferralsols were influenced more by Al and Fe oxides. Heatmap analysis further highlighted distinct element clustering, with Cr, Ni, and Se more prominent in Ferralsols, and Mo, Ti, and other trace elements showing spatial variation in Acrisols. These findings underscore the influence of pedogenic processes, mineral weathering in shaping elemental distributions across soil types in tropical environments. The study supports a soil-type-specific management approach to ensure environmental protection and sustainable land use. Soil Quality Index (SQI) indicated that Ferralsols (SQI range: -2.65 to 1.78) had slightly lower surface horizon quality, likely due to leaching, while Acrisols (SQI range: -2.84 to 3.89) showed higher quality in deeper horizons, reflecting better nutrient retention.
Keywords: Metals, tropical soils, soil properties, sustainable agriculture, soil fertility
Received: 30 May 2025; Accepted: 01 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 El Mellouki, Boularbah and Kebede. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Meryem El Mellouki, Other, Benguerir, Morocco
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