IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT) e-ISSN: 2319-2402,p- ISSN: 2319-2399.Volume 9, Issue 12 Ver. I (Dec. 2015), PP 61-72 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/2402-091216172 www.iosrjournals.org 61 | Page Evaluation of heavy metals concentration in soil using GIS, RS and Geostatistics Ali Reza Soffianian*, Hawkar Bapeer Bakir**, Loghman Khodakarami** *Associate Professor at Department of Natural Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156- 83111, Iran **Assistant Lecturer at Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq Abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of agricultural activities on heavy metal concentrations and spatial distribution using Geographical Information System (GIS), geostatistics and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. The random systematic method was used for sampling strategy by dividing the study area into a grid of 5 km× 5 km and collecting 135 composite soil samples from 0-20 cm depth. These samples were analyzed for total concentration of heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cu, Cr, Co, As and V), soil pH, organic matter and soil texture. Interpolation of heavy metals concentration was done by geostatistics methods and the appropriate method for interpolation was selected using spatial correlation analyzes and MAE and MBE functions. The interpolation maps of Zn, V and Pb were produced by discrete kriging method and exponential model, interpolation As map was produced using ordinary kriging and ovally model. For producing the interpolation maps of Cd, Cu and Cr, Co, Ni we used Radial Basic Function method and ordinary kriging method respectively and exponential model. For analyzing heavy metal distribution, we used landuse and geology maps. Landuse map was produced using multi teporal of satellite images IRS-P6 AWIFS. We used fuzzy method for classification of satellite images, have kappa and accuracy of 0.88 and 90% respectively. Analyzing the interpolation maps show that As, Cd, Zn and Pb have the geological and agricultural origin and Cr, Co, Ni and V originated from bedrocks. Agricultural activities such as over using of fertilizers can increase the amount of these elements in soil. Key words: geostatistics, heavy metals, soil pollution, parent material, geographical Information System (GIS). I. Introduction Because of limit sources of food, producing the safe food for increasing population of the word with minimum adverse effect on environment is one of the very important problems of word. Increasing the industrial and agricultural activities and producing the pollutants is one of the most important and developing problems of human in recent years (Torabian and Mahjouri, 2002). There are much expanded uses of chemicals in agriculture and industries. These chemicals enter the environment by agricultural and industrial activities (Amini et al, 2006). Because of wide distribution of chemicals and heavy metals in environment, which many of them are toxic, mutagen, carcinogenic; they can enter the food chain. Soil is one of the most important natural sources of food. Intensive agricultural and industrial activities have the adverse effects on this important source. Therefore protection of soil quality and suppression of its downfall is very important and vital. Usually point and non- point pollutions produced by human activities (agriculture, industry, urban) affect the quality of soil and water drastically (Corwin and Wagenet, 1996). Such examples of these non- point pollutants are: fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metals and salts. These pollutants have widely distribution (Corwin et al, 1999). Non- point pollutants are the universal problems and don’t be limited by political boundaries (Duda and Nawar, 1996). The non- point pollutants are known as the most important sources of pollution in soil and water and agriculture have the most contribution to produce these pollutants (Duda and Nawar, 1996 and Humenik et al , 1987). These days, the importance of GIS, RS and geostatistics to soil pollution studies is well known. In recent years, GIS was used to managing and estimate the non- point pollution sources, by environment researchers (Walsh, 1988). Also, Satellite Image were used in natural resource, agriculture and environment studies. So it is necessary for accurate evaluation of non- point pollutions in wide scale to use of sum of sciences such as classical statistics, geostatistics, remote sensing, GIS, soil science, hydrology and biosciences. The objective of this study is evaluating the total concentration of Cu, Zn, Cd, As, Cr, Co, Ni, V, Pb and evaluating the pollution of surface soil (0- 20 cm) in three catchment areas in Hamedan province, Iran: Kaboudarahang, Razan- Ghahavand and Khonjin- Talkhab, using classic statistics, geostatistics, GIS and RS. Hamedan provinve and these three catchment areas of this province are of the important centers of Iran agriculture.