Assessment of Selected Properties and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Soil and Vegetable Samples from Regions Surrounding Derna City, Libya

Soil and vegetable samples were collected from around the areas of Derna city (Libya) and used in this investigation. The vegetable samples included (Tomato, pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini, peas, lettuce, and beans). The heavy metals of iron, copper, and nickel were estimated in soil and vegetable samples. Besides the PH, TDS, and EC values were measured in soil samples. The results revealed that the soil is an alkaline medium (pH 6.5–8.9), with total dissolved solids (TDS) ranging from 284.44 to 503 mg/L and electrical conductivity (E.C.) ranging from 493 to 751 μs/cm. These values suggest that the fraction of soil salinity has not increased significantly. All soil samples, according to the results. In the areas where these soil samples were found, the results showed that the soil samples from Al-thaher El-hmar had an 8.210 µg/g content, while those from Elfatiah and Sidi Khalid had 8.190 µg/g and 8.222 µg/g, respectively. Additionally, the results showed that the concentrations of the heavy metals under study ranged from 0.35 to 0.98 µg/g, 0.33 to 1.539 µg/g, and 1.065 to 2.103 µg/g for Ni, Cu, and Fe, respectively, for Elfatiah, Ain Mara, and Sidi Khaled. In contrast, the concentrations of the aforementioned heavy metals for the soil samples ranged from 0.72 to 3.572 µg/g, Cu (0.729 to 0.913 µg/g), Ni (0.602 to 0.862 µg/g), and Fe (2.970 to 3.572 µg/g). The Fe, Ni, and Cu values were well below the WHO/FAO-established acceptable limits. The purpose of the study is measurement of the pH, E.C., and TDS levels in soil samples, as well as to determine of heavy metals in the studied samples.