In the opportunity to understand the benefits of Maltese soil and its importance to our climate, the content of heavy metals—including Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn—was studied in two fields in proximity in the south-east region of Malta. Analytical determinations were carried out using atomic absorption spectroscopy following heated aqua regia digestion on 50 collected samples using triple repeatability. The decreasing pattern of the concentrations obtained is Fe > Zn > Mn > Sr > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cr > Co. Correlations between pre-harvesting and post-harvesting concentrations were examined to assess lithogenic and anthropogenic relationships. Multivariate analysis including principal component analysis and factor analysis clarified the origin of heavy metals content reviewed. Some of the heavy metals studied showed a dominant relationship between concentration variation and their possible sources. Potential ecological risk assessment demonstrated that the fields reviewed are not contaminated by any of the heavy metals assessed except for Zn which posed a moderate/strong contamination but presented an overall low potential for ecological risk. Concentrations of heavy metals demonstrated no risk to human health and no carcinogenic risk through ingestion and dermal contact with the soil.

This study focuses on the quantification of heavy metals present in 18 sand beaches on the islands of Malta and Gozo. A total of 134 samples were collected, digested using Aqua Regia, and analysed using flame AAS to find the concentration of six heavy metals. Concentrations obtained in descending order are: Sr > Fe > Mn > Pb > Zn > Cu. Using PCA, Fe and Mn resulted as homogenous distributions with a probable prevalent lithogenic origin. Pb is possibly dominantly anthropogenic, while Cu and Zn are of a mixed nature. Cluster analysis was used to prove the interaction between concentrations and different bays from where the samples were gathered. This showed that Ballut Reserve Bay and Rinella Bay in Malta and Marsalforn Bay in Gozo are amongst the bays most affected by heavy metal content. It has been observed that bays with higher heavy metal content lie in the same zones with the highest geological wear rate induced by sea waves. Health risk assessment undertaken for adults and children shows negligible effects of non-carcinogenic risk and cancer risk indices. Potential ecological risk computed for the concentrations obtained showed considerable Cu risk and a moderate Pb risk at the bays analysed, none of which are contaminated with these elements.