Assessment of Long-Term Soil Contamination Due To Municipal Solid Waste Dumping in Mokokchung, Nagaland: A Pollution Index-Based Approach

Assessment of Long-Term Soil Contamination Due To Municipal Solid Waste Dumping in Mokokchung, Nagaland: A Pollution Index-Based Approach | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Assessment of Long-Term Soil Contamination Due To Municipal Solid Waste Dumping in Mokokchung, Nagaland: A Pollution Index-Based Approach Shreya Anand, Bhanu Prakash Mishra This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8788595/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose - The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term impact of municipal waste dumping on soil quality in Mokokchung, Nagaland, India. It aimed to assess residual contamination levels and evaluate ecological risk using pollution indices. Methods - Soil samples were collected from three distinct ecological zones: a dumpsite (Site1), an undisturbed agroforestry area (Site 2) and a roadside area (Site 3). Atomic absorption spectrophotometry method was used to assess the quantities of heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Fe, Cr, and Cu) and for physio-chemical parameters such as pH, EC, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium respective methods were used. To describe the level and source of contamination, pollution indices such as the enrichment factor (EF), geo accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), and pollution load index (PLI) were calculated. Result - The results showed that the dumpsite had acidic, nutrient-deficient soils and high concentrations of heavy metals, with Cd, Pb, and Cr exhibiting extremely high levels of pollution. While Site 3 shown modest impacts, Site 2 maintained near-background levels and excellent soil conditions. With a PLI of greater than 11.8, the pollution index results further validated the dumpsite's status as highly polluted. Conclusion - These findings underscore the ecological risk of legacy waste dumping and highlight the need for remediation, monitoring, and long-use restriction near former dumpsite. Soil pollution Waste disposal Dumping site Waste Management Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Onlinefloatimage1.png Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8788595","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":599543113,"identity":"9743fa82-a0ba-41c5-a0f5-51bd9656dbcc","order_by":0,"name":"Shreya Anand","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACxocfDCR4+NkbGx98gIgYgBEewGwsUWEjJ9lz+LDhDCK1sEnwnEkzNpiRlibNA9eCB+j2nzGQkGw7nLiBIcdA2janLrGBvXmbBEPBHZxazA6cMTAoBGrZznDGwDh3G1tiA8+xMgkGg2e4tRzsMUgA2bKzsccgOXcbT2KDRI4ZUMth3FoO8xgc4AU5DMg4bLlNIrFB/g0BLcd4DBvA3j/GltjMuM0AaAsPAS1n2IqZIYHMfJixd1uCcRtPWrFFAj4t5w9v/wmOSvmH7T9+bquT7Wc/vPHGhz+4tWACNhCRQIKGUTAKRsEoGAWYAAADe1ZetFyVfgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Mizoram University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shreya","middleName":"","lastName":"Anand","suffix":""},{"id":599543114,"identity":"1a4e52e8-b96b-4514-a872-32618e8af708","order_by":1,"name":"Bhanu Prakash Mishra","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mizoram University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bhanu","middleName":"Prakash","lastName":"Mishra","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-04 16:08:37","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8788595/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8788595/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105912307,"identity":"f2cb6414-43af-4a10-8f9a-f53a3b251346","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-01 10:59:35","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1338560,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"R1.MsDiscoverSoil.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8788595/v1_covered_43d22f6c-6b1b-4b59-bf71-729101d70770.pdf"},{"id":104103957,"identity":"c146cf76-99c0-4dcd-89a5-c942659ed82f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-06 20:54:44","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":48732,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8788595/v1/682de3f5fdc979a2662373c7.png"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Assessment of Long-Term Soil Contamination Due To Municipal Solid Waste Dumping in Mokokchung, Nagaland: A Pollution Index-Based Approach","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Soil pollution, Waste disposal, Dumping site, Waste Management","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8788595/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8788595/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003ePurpose\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e- The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term impact of municipal waste dumping on soil quality in Mokokchung, Nagaland, India. It aimed to assess residual contamination levels and evaluate ecological risk using pollution indices.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e- Soil samples were collected from three distinct ecological zones: a dumpsite (Site1), an undisturbed agroforestry area (Site 2) and a roadside area (Site 3). Atomic absorption spectrophotometry method was used to assess the quantities of heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Fe, Cr, and Cu) and for physio-chemical parameters such as pH, EC, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium respective methods were used. 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With a PLI of greater than 11.8, the pollution index results further validated the dumpsite's status as highly polluted.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e- These findings underscore the ecological risk of legacy waste dumping and highlight the need for remediation, monitoring, and long-use restriction near former dumpsite.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Assessment of Long-Term Soil Contamination Due To Municipal Solid Waste Dumping in Mokokchung, Nagaland: A Pollution Index-Based Approach","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-06 20:54:36","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8788595/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"fc133637-84d9-460a-9c64-57de31bd2282","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 6th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-01T10:40:24+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-06 20:54:36","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8788595","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8788595","identity":"rs-8788595","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}