Polluted landscape in Ahvaz, Iran, with dark soil and metallic elements rising from the ground.

Ahvaz's Toxic Legacy: How Industrial Pollution Threatens a City's Soil and Health

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Soraya Malik in Climate & Environment November 2026 • 4 min read.

"A new study reveals the alarming levels of potentially toxic elements in the soil of Ahvaz, Iran, and what it means for the city's residents, especially children."


Many cities expand into peri-urban areas, regions where urban and rural activities intertwine. These areas often face environmental challenges from industrial activities, including soil contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs). This contamination results from municipal waste, industrial discharge, and agricultural practices.

A recent study focused on Ahvaz, a major industrial city in southwestern Iran, examines the extent of soil pollution in its urban and peri-urban areas. The research assessed contamination levels, identified pollution sources, analyzed geochemical properties, and evaluated potential health risks associated with PTEs in the soil.

By understanding the sources and risks associated with soil pollution, communities and policymakers can develop targeted strategies to protect public health and the environment. This article breaks down the study's key findings and what they mean for the future of Ahvaz and similar industrial cities.

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Soil Sampling and Pollution Source Identification

Identifying and quantitatively analyzing potential pollution sources are prerequisites for soil pollution prevention and control, and many methods have been developed for source identification sciencedirect.com. A 2026 review synthesizes the advantages and limitations of major statistical and geometric soil-sampling methods and offers guidance for planning sampling campaigns link.springer.com. Another 2026 study describes significant limitations in pollution-tracing methods in the aluminum-processing industry and profiles pollution using data from ten typical enterprises across China. The US EPA also provides soil-sampling procedures and quality standards for field branches.

The Polluted Landscape: Unveiling the Toxic Elements in Ahvaz's Soil

Polluted landscape in Ahvaz, Iran, with dark soil and metallic elements rising from the ground.

The study collected 92 surface soil samples from various industrial clusters around Ahvaz, including steel production, oil companies, power plants, industrial towns, agro-industries, and brick factories. These samples were analyzed for sixteen PTEs using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

The results revealed that long-term industrial activities significantly increased the levels of PTEs in the soil, particularly lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo), antimony (Sb), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and cadmium (Cd). Contamination indices confirmed that steel and iron industries were the primary contributors to soil pollution in the study area.

  • Steel and Iron Industries: Major source of pollution, elevating levels of Pb, Hg, Zn, and other PTEs.
  • Industrial Towns: Significant contamination due to diverse industrial activities.
  • Power Plants: Contributed to PTE pollution, particularly Zn, Cd, Sb, and Fe.
  • Natural Sources: Background levels of certain elements also play a role.
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Recent Evidence on Soil Contamination and Risk

A meta-analysis of global urban-soil heavy-metal contamination from 2010 to 2022 reports that residents in some cities face non-carcinogenic health risks (HI > 1) from oral consumption and skin contact with soil metals doi.org. A 2025 study assessed contamination and ecological and health risks from arsenic, cadmium, copper, nickel, and lead in 180 soil samples collected in Hamedan, western Iran, in 2023 doi.org. A separate study reports arsenic was partly affected by human activity, with polluted-level Igeo values in 16.21% of soil and 21.76% of sediment. A 2024 review examines soil pollution from mining, focusing on arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and zinc and their effects on soil, water, vegetation, wildlife, and human health.

Industrial Growth and Soil Pollution

A 2025 chapter argues that Sustainable Material Management is crucial to pursuing industrial growth while maintaining environmental integrity, as manufacturing systems advance and efforts to maximize efficiency and minimize waste become increasingly important link.springer.com. A separate overview reports that untreated industrial effluents, dumped solid waste, and airborne fine ash can settle into soil, alter its chemistry, and persist for decades urbanstudies.institute. These sources describe the tension between industrial production and environmental protection, alongside pathways by which industrial waste can damage soil.

The study also assessed the mobility of PTEs in the soil. Mobility factor analysis showed that zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), and molybdenum (Mo) had the highest mobility, making them more likely to be absorbed by plants and enter the food chain. This poses a significant risk to human health through the consumption of contaminated food.

Protecting Ahvaz: Steps Toward a Healthier Future

The study underscores the urgent need for effective environmental management and remediation strategies in Ahvaz. Prioritizing the reduction of PTE emissions from steel and iron industries is essential to mitigate soil contamination.

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Human and Ecological Consequences

A chapter on soil pollution discusses broader risks that include disruptions to food production, biodiversity loss, and long-term ecological damage link.springer.com. A report on environmental pollution describes a Yamuna River case study in India, where industrial and domestic pollution is linked to health risks and biodiversity loss scribd.com. These accounts illustrate effects on human health and ecosystems, although the Yamuna example concerns river pollution rather than a soil-specific case.

Given the high mobility of certain PTEs, continuous monitoring of soil, water, and food sources is vital to protect public health. Implementing stricter regulations and promoting cleaner industrial practices can minimize further contamination.

Ultimately, addressing soil pollution in Ahvaz requires a collaborative effort involving industries, government agencies, and the community. By working together, it is possible to create a healthier and more sustainable environment for current and future generations.

How Ahvaz soil findings compare with other local evidence

Other Ahvaz evidence spans different materials: industrial road dust had higher metal concentrations than a reference area, while a street-dust ecological-risk assessment classified most samples as low risk.[1] [2]

What other measurements add to the Ahvaz picture

  • 69 surface sediment samplesA Khuzestan surface-sediment assessment covered 69 samples and described itself as the province’s first province-wide assessment; it concerns sediment, not city soil.[3]
  • 3.7%; 94%, 80%, 74%A comparison of digestion procedures for Florida soils found average precision of 3.7% for the microwave aqua regia plus HF procedure; reported elemental recovery accuracy was 94% for that procedure, compared with 80% for microwave aqua regia and 74% for hotplate aqua regia.[4]

What the measurements can-and cannot-tell us

The comparisons show why soil, sediment and dust results should not be treated as interchangeable: they describe different environmental materials and assessments, even when they concern the same region.[1] [3] [5] [6]

What remains unresolved about exposure in Ahvaz

  • How closely do default bioavailability assumptions reflect conditions at the specific soil sites being assessed?[7]
  • How much do inhalation and skin contact contribute relative to ingestion in real-world exposure to soil metals?[8]

Sources

  1. Increased allergic and asthmatic risks in children residing in industrial areas by surveying the pre-inflammatory (IgE, IL-4 and IL-13) biomarkers (2022)
  2. Ecological and human health risk assessment of toxic metals in street dusts and surface soils in Ahvaz, Iran. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  3. Potentially Toxic Element Contamination and Ecological Risk in Surface Sediments of the Khuzestan Plain, Southwestern Iran: A Province‑Wide Geochemical Baseline for a Major Middle Eastern Dust Hotspot (Soil and Sediment Contamination An International Journal, 2026)
  4. Comparison of Three Aqua Regia Digestion Methods for Twenty Florida Soils (Soil Science Society of America Journal, 2001)
  5. A Monte Carlo simulation-based ecological and health risks assessment of trace elements in soils of city of Hamedan, West of Iran (Soil and Sediment Contamination An International Journal, 2025)
  6. Source apportionment and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in road dust from urban industrial areas of Ahvaz megacity, Iran. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  7. Guidance for Evaluating the Oral Bioavailability of Metals in Soils for Use in Human Health Risk Assessment (nepis.epa.gov)
  8. Source, Spatial Distribution and Pollution Assessment of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Pb, Isotopes in urban soils of Ahvaz City, a semi-arid metropolis in southwest Iran (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

About this Article -

Written with AI assistance from published research, and reviewed by the Mystum team. See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.10.041, Alternate LINK

Title: Risk-Based Assessment Of Soil Pollution By Potentially Toxic Elements In The Industrialized Urban And Peri-Urban Areas Of Ahvaz Metropolis, Southwest Of Iran

Subject: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Journal: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Behnam Keshavarzi, Ali Najmeddin, Farid Moore, Pooneh Afshari Moghaddam

Published: 2019-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

1

What toxic elements were found in the soil?

The study found alarming levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil of Ahvaz, Iran. Specifically, it identified elevated concentrations of lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo), antimony (Sb), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and cadmium (Cd). These elements are considered harmful to human health. The presence of these PTEs is a direct result of industrial activities, including steel and iron industries, power plants, and industrial towns, all of which contribute to soil contamination. This contamination can lead to significant health risks for residents, especially children, as exposure to these elements can cause various health problems.

2

What are the main sources of soil pollution?

The study found that steel and iron industries are the major sources of soil pollution in Ahvaz. These industries release significant amounts of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) like lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn), and others. The industrial towns were also significant contributors to contamination due to diverse industrial activities. Power plants were also identified as sources, releasing elements like zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), and iron (Fe). These findings highlight the impact that various industrial activities have on the environment and, by extension, on public health, emphasizing the need for careful environmental management and regulation of industrial emissions.

3

What does 'mobility' of toxic elements mean?

The mobility of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) refers to their ability to move within the soil and potentially enter the food chain. The study's mobility factor analysis revealed that zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), and molybdenum (Mo) had the highest mobility. This high mobility means these elements are more likely to be absorbed by plants, which, in turn, can be consumed by humans. This process poses a serious threat to human health. The study highlighted the importance of understanding how these elements behave in the soil to predict and manage potential health risks.

4

Why are the study's findings significant?

The study's findings are significant because they underscore the urgent need for environmental management and remediation strategies in Ahvaz. The identification of elevated levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and their sources, such as the steel and iron industries, provides crucial information for policymakers and communities. The study emphasizes the necessity of reducing PTE emissions from steel and iron industries and other pollution sources, to decrease soil contamination and protect public health. It also emphasizes the importance of monitoring and mitigating the risk of PTEs to safeguard the environment and the well-being of Ahvaz residents.

5

How can the city protect its residents from this pollution?

Effective environmental management is crucial to improve the situation. The first step towards a healthier future involves prioritizing the reduction of emissions from sources like steel and iron industries. Implementing and enforcing regulations on industrial activities to control the release of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is essential. Remediation strategies, such as soil treatment, are necessary to address existing contamination. Community awareness programs can educate residents about the risks and preventive measures. Continued monitoring and assessment of soil quality are also important to track progress and adapt strategies as needed.

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