2.1.2. Soil Sample

Soil samples in triplicate were taken from agricultural fields in the vicinity of the industries. For the collection of soil samples, the soil was dug to the depth of 20 cm [30]. Soil was collected from 4–5 parts of the field viz., east, west, north, south, and center and pooled to constitute the sample of the particular field. Approx. area of the agricultural field was 1000 sq. mts and situated 500 meters away from the main industrial units. Soil samples were stored in clean and airtight polyethylene bags. Soil samples were dried in the laboratory, cleaned by removing visible traces of leaves and other waste materials, homogenized, and sieved through a size 2 mm sieve for heavy metal analysis.
