Analysis of Zn, Cd, As, Cu, Pb, and Fe in snails as bioindicators and soil samples near traffic road by ICP-OES

Snails are used as biological indicators of the environment pollution for heavy metals. Living snail samples were collected from different sites at the city of Irbid-Jordan and classified according to their morphological features including Helix pelasga, Eobania vermiculata, Xeropicta derbentina, Oychilus, Xerocrassa seetzenii, Xerocrassa simulata, and Pila. Zn, Cd, As, Cu, Pb, and Fe levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. Results indicated that metal concentrations in all snail shell samples were with an average and range for Zn 22.4 (6.5–105.5) μg g−1, Cd 7.8 (0.4–48.1) μg g−1, As 25.9 (0.7–248.5) μg g−1, Cu 15.1 (1.6–69.0) μg g−1, Pb 0.4 (0.2–1.7) μg g−1, and Fe 119.6 (14.0–1102.0) μg g−1, whereas, in soil samples, the average and range for Zn 204.0 (12.0–709.0) μg g−1, Cd 5.7 (0.2–39.5) μg g−1, As 3.2 (1.8–5.2) μg g−1, Cu 22.1 (2.3–77.4) μg g−1, Pb 0.2 (0.1–0.3) μg g−1, and Fe 242.4 (25.0–680.0) μg g−1.