Soil quality assessment is essential for understanding the ecological health of freshwater-influenced environments and in determining potential risks posed by heavy metal contamination. In areas where communities depend on soil and water resources, establishing baseline information on physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal concentrations provides crucial support for environmental management and protection initiatives. This study assessed the physicochemical characteristics and the levels of selected heavy metals (cadmium, copper, chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, and nickel) in soil samples collected from Lourdes, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental, and compared these values with established soil quality standards. Samples were obtained from purposively selected sampling locations near a river, a waterfall and a creek that represent different freshwater-influenced environments. Results showed no significant differences across soils sampled among stations in terms of pH, conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, temperature, and moisture content. Only organic matter was observed to vary significantly across sites reflecting localized environmental conditions and potential anthropogenic influences. Metal concentrations were highest in soil sampled near the river, followed by the waterfall, and the creek. Chromium exceeded the permissible limits at all stations indicating serious contamination concern. Nickel, and cobalt also showed elevated levels in both stations (near the creek and the river) suggesting site-specific contamination patterns, whereas copper, lead, and cadmium remained within safe thresholds. These findings highlight the need for targeted source tracing, continuous monitoring, including standards-based risk assessment to better understand contamination dynamics, especially for metals that exceeded guideline values, to guide appropriate mitigation or remediation strategies in the area.
