Research Information System
STOCHASTIC ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND RISK ASSESSMENT, vol.37, pp.2069-2081, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
An abundance of boron (B) content in soils can threaten both plant and human health. The range that identifies B insufficiency or toxicity in the soil is quite small, making it a difficult issue to overcome. Therefore, intensive activities (irrigation, fertilization, pesticides, etc.) caused by humans in agricultural lands can rapidly increase B concentration. On the other hand, there have been few studies to analyze the ecological and human health implications posed by B concentrations in agricultural soil. In the present study, environmental, ecological, and human health risks caused by B in the intensively cultivated Amik Plain (Turkiye) were evaluated. A total of 137 soil samples were collected and analyzed from the study area which has been used under intensive agriculture practice. The average concentration of B in the soils (29.40 mg kg(-1)) exceeded the contents of B in the upper continental crust (17 mg kg(-1)). It was determined that the mean enrichment factor (2.56), geoaccumulation index (0.17), and contamination factor values (1.73) of B show that the study area was moderately enriched and contaminated. B had a mean potential ecological risk factor value below 40, indicating a low potential ecological risk. Spatial distribution maps showed that boron enrichment was more in the western part of the plain. Children were more vulnerable to noncarcinogenic health effects of B in soils than adults. In addition, for both children and adults, the hazard index values did not surpass one, showing that B in the soil through dermal contact, inhalation pathways, and ingestion had no dangers noncarcinogenic risks.