Use of pollution indices and ecological risk in the assessment of contamination from chemical elements in soils and sediments – Practical aspects

This paper presents a discussion involving practical aspects of applying contamination indices and ecological risk factors derived from chemical elements in the environmental assessment of soils and sediments. The single and integrated indices: Geoaccumulation index (Igeo), Enrichment factor (EF), Contamination factor (CF), Pollution Index (PI), Ecological risk factor (Eir), Pollution Load Index (PLI), Degree of contamination (Cdeg), Modified Contamination Factor (mCdeg), and potential ecological risk index (PERI) were discussed, and some applications were presented didactically. The analytical care needed to obtain reliable indices with the studied ecosystem is also evidenced. In addition, the advantages and limitations of the use of these indices are presented.