An Assessment on Metal Sources by Multivariate Analysis and Speciation of Metals in Soil Samples Using the BCR Sequential Extraction Procedure

The concentrations of Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb metals in soil samples (N = 21) were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The modified Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction procedure (three‐step) was used in order to evaluate mobility, availability, and persistence of heavy metals in soil samples taken from an agricultural area in Erciyes University Campus. The operationally defined fractions isolated using the BCR procedure were: acid extractable, reducible, and oxidizable. The mobility sequence based on the sum of the BCR sequential extraction stages was: Mn (70.2%) > Pb (62.9%) > Ni (26.7%) > Cr (15.4%) > Zn (14.4%) > Cu (12.9%) > Fe (1.24%). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to define the possible origin of heavy metals in soils. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA) were applied to the data matrix to evaluate the analytical results and to identify the possible pollution sources of heavy metals. PCA results revealed that the sampling area was mainly influenced from three sources, namely natural, airborne emissions from domestic heating and traffic.