Lead and other elements-based pollution in soil, crops and water near a lead-acid battery recycling factory in Bangladesh

Lead (Pb) pollution in the environment predominantly occurs through anthropogenic activities, which pose significant threats to human health and that of biota. In this study, Pb and other elements were investigated in different soils (n = 52), crops (n = 24) and water (n = 13) around a lead-acid battery (LAB) recycling workshop in southwestern Bangladesh. Most of the elements' concentrations (except Se and Ag) in soil were lower than the background concentrations. However, excessive concentrations of Pb were found in both surface (966 ± 2414 mg kg-1 at 0-15 cm) and subsurface (230 ± 490 mg kg-1 at 15-30 cm) soil. Although no definitive pattern or direction in elemental concentration in soil was observed, relatively higher concentrations of most…