Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Abandoned Coal Stockpile and Lime Kiln of Meghalaya using Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Geoaccumulation Index (I-Geo)

Soil pollution problems from potential toxic heavy metals have been a serious concern nowadays due to anthropogenic activity like mining and industrial activity. Thus, the present study was aimed to assess the pollution of soil by heavy metals in abandoned coal stockpile and abandoned lime kiln by using pollution indices calculation. The results revealed that the soils are low in organic contents (N, P, K and C) in both the study sites. The heavy metal concentration in the soil of both the study sites are in the order Fegreater thanMggreater thanZngreater thanMngreater thanSegreater thanNagreater than Asgreater thanCagreater thanPbgreater thanCugreater thanNi=Crgreater thanCogreater thanLi in abandoned coal stockpile and Cagreater thanFegreater thanMggreater thanSegreater thanAsgreater thanNagreater thanMngreater thanZngreater thanPbgreater thanCugreater thangreater thanCrgreater thanNigreater thanCo in abandoned lime kiln. Based on the CF values indicate that the soils were contaminated with Se, Fe in abandoned coal stockpile and Se, Fe and Ca in abandoned lime kiln. The degree of contamination shows a high contamination in both the study sites. The modified degree of contamination suggest that is moderately contaminated (mCd= 2.23 and 3.14) in both the study sites. Pollution load index were found to be generally low (