scholarly journals Level, Source, and Spatial Distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements in Agricultural Soil of Typical Mining Areas in Xiangjiang River Basin, Hunan Province

Author(s):  
Yang Yu ◽  
Haijiang Luo ◽  
Lihuan He ◽  
Wenqing Liu ◽  
Renji Xu ◽  
...  

The concentrations, chemical availability, distribution, and sources of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil of Xiangjiang Basin in Hunan Province, China were investigated at 85 sites. The highest mean concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb were observed in Hengyang, whereas those for Mn, Co, and Hg were observed in Changde. The pollution index values followed the order: Cd > Hg > Cu > Zn > As > Pb; the mean geo-accumulation index values were in the order: Cd > Hg > Pb > Cu > Zn > As > Co > Mn. Cd was associated with moderate contaminated level, Hg and Pb were associated with moderate contaminated to uncontaminated level, and Cu, Zn, As, Co, and Mn were associated with uncontaminated level of pollution. Furthermore, 64.5% of Cd was water-soluble and exhibited exchangeable fractions; its chemical availability posed a risk to the ecosystem. Spatial analysis, principal component analysis, and a positive matrix factorization model were used to assess the PTE sources. Four principal components contributed to 88.8% of the 8 PTEs concentrations. Mining, smelting, industrial, and agricultural activities, alongside sewage irrigation, the use of agrochemicals, and vehicular emissions are the possible anthropogenic sources that pollute agricultural products and threaten human health in the Xiangjiang Basin.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8538 ◽  
Author(s):  
He Huang ◽  
Yong Zhou ◽  
Yujie Liu ◽  
Ke Li ◽  
Liang Xiao ◽  
...  

In order to study the spatial distribution and anthropogenic sources of potentially toxic elements in Xiangzhou, soil samples were collected from arable land and were analyzed for five different potentially toxic elements: Cd, Hg, As, Pb, and Cr. Inverse distance weighting (IDW) was used to study the spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements in the soil, while principal component analysis (PCA) and random forest analysis (RFA) were applied to examine the anthropogenic sources. It was shown that the combination of multiple analysis tools provides an effective way of delineating multiple potentially toxic elements from anthropogenic sources. The results showed that the average contents of Cd, Hg, and Cr in soils were lower than the background values of Hubei, whereas the average concentrations of As and Pb in soils were higher than the background values of Hubei. Through PCA, it was concluded that human activities contributed more than 60% of the As, Pb, and Cr concentrations in Xiangzhou soils, which was verified by a random forest simulation methodology. Through random forest analysis, Pb, As, and Cr in the soil were found to originate from factories and enterprises, livestock farms, mining areas, and traffic; Cd in the soil was found to originate from mining and the processing of minerals, human production and construction activities, and agricultural irrigation; and Hg in the soil was found to originate from livestock manure, mining and processing of minerals, and human industrial production. The results of this study could provide support for better management of soil pollution through prevention practices such as specific industrial governance and layout optimization.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 953
Author(s):  
Yang Yu ◽  
Wenqing Liu ◽  
Haijiang Luo ◽  
Lihuan He ◽  
Haijiang Liu ◽  
...  

In this study, soil and rice samples from 85 sites in six cities in Hunan Province were analyzed for Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Hg, Mn, and Co (total and bioavailable concentrations for soil) in July 2014. The results indicated that the total concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Hg in soil had increased significantly compared with the 1980s, and were correlated with their bioavailable concentrations in soil positively. The total concentrations of Cd and Co in soil were correlated with those in rice. Bioavailable concentrations of Cd, Mn, Co, Pb, and Cu represented 64.4%, 33.2%, 12.0%, 11.6%, and 6.1% of the total soil concentrations, respectively. The bioavailable concentrations of Cd and Co in soil had a extremely significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation with those in rice, suggesting that bioavailable concentrations was a better indicator for soil potentially toxic elements contamination. The pH values had a significant influence on the bioavailability of Cd and Cu and the amounts taken up by rice. The Cd contamination in 27.0% rice samples exceeded World Health Organization recommended thresholds. The results added basic pollution distribution data, further revealing the relationships of metals in soil and crops and would offer great help to the metallic pollution control in these areas.


Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Saijun Zhou ◽  
Renjian Deng ◽  
Andrew Hursthouse

We evaluated the direct release to the environment of a number of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from various processing nodes at Xikuangshan Antimony Mine in Hunan Province, China. Sampling wastewater, processing dust, and solid waste and characterizing PTE content (major elements Sb, As, Zn, and associated Hg, Pb, and Cd) from processing activities, we extrapolated findings to assess wider environmental significance using the pollution index and the potential ecological risk index. The Sb, As, and Zn in wastewater from the antimony benefication industry and a wider group of PTEs in the fine ore bin were significantly higher than their reference values. The content of Sb, As, and Zn in tailings were relatively high, with the average value being 2674, 1040, and 590 mg·kg−1, respectively. The content of PTEs in the surface soils surrounding the tailings was similar to that in tailings, and much higher than the background values. The results of the pollution index evaluation of the degree of pollution by PTEs showed that while dominated by Sb, some variation in order of significance was seen namely for: (1) The ore processing wastewater Sb > Pb > As > Zn > Hg > Cd, (2) in dust Sb > As > Cd > Pb > Hg > Zn, and (3) surface soil (near tailings) Sb > Hg > Cd > As > Zn > Pb. From the assessment of the potential ecological risk index, the levels were most significant at the three dust generation nodes and in the soil surrounding the tailings reservoir.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1532
Author(s):  
Jing Bai ◽  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Weiyin Liu ◽  
Guohong Xiang ◽  
Yu Zheng ◽  
...  

A field survey was conducted to determine the pollution grade, sources, potential ecological risk, and health risk of soil potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in Xikuangshan Mine (XKS), the largest antimony (Sb) deposit in the world. A total of 106 topsoil samples were collected from 6 sites in XKS to measure the concentrations of PTEs Cr, Zn, Cd, Pb, As, Hg, and Sb. The results show that the average concentrations of these elements at all six sites were generally greater than their corresponding background values in Hunan province, especially Sb, Hg, and As. Correlation and principal component analyses suggested that Cd, Zn, Pb, Hg, and Sb were primarily released from mining and other industrial and human activities, while Cr and As were mainly impacted by the parent material from pedogenesis. A risk index analysis showed that, overall, sites were at very high ecological risk, and Sb is the highest ecological risk factor, followed by Cd and Hg. According to health risk assessment, oral ingestion is the main non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk exposure route. The higher potentially non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks happen to the local children who live in the vicinity of mining area. It revealed that the mining and smelting processes of XKS have negatively influenced the local people, therefore, we should pay increasing attention to this practical issue and take effective measures to protect the ecology of XKS.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Romero-Baena ◽  
Cinta Barba-Brioso ◽  
Alicia Ross ◽  
Isabel González

&lt;p&gt;Agricultural soils in mining areas usually accumulate potentially toxic elements (PTEs) that can become a health risk to humans by entering the trophic chain. In this study, five small agricultural plots close to Riotinto mines (SW Spain) were studied, with the aims of comparing the concentration of PTEs with respect to the regional (South Portuguese Zone) baseline and conducting availability studies in order to determine the contamination of soils. Chemical composition, total and clay mineralogy, and edaphic parameters were determined in topsoil and subsoil samples to characterize the soils, and single extractions were conducted to assess the mobility. The mineralogy of the soils was composed of quartz and phyllosilicates, with small amounts of feldspars and occasionally containing hematite and calcite. The texture ranged from sandy to silty loam, the pH was slightly acidic, and high contents of organic matter were found. Total concentrations of trace elements correlated with the texture, the content in iron oxy-hydroxides and the pH. The values of As, Pb, Cu, and Zn exceeded the regional baseline even in sites unaffected by mining. The results suggest that a widespread sampling is necessary to determine the local background. The most water-soluble element was As, due to the competition of organic matter for sorption sites. The content of Cu, Cr and Zn extracted with different methods were higher in sandy soils with low iron oxy-hydroxides content. Monoammonium phosphate and EDTA extractions seemed to remove elements from organic matter and iron oxy-hydroxides. The extracted fractions of As and metals reached up to 10-30 wt%.&amp;#160; Despite the high total concentrations of the element in soils, they generally showed low available proportions, especially with water and ammonium acetate extractants. The results suggest that the soils are not necessarily a risk to humans and higher investigation efforts are necessary to assess the availability of PTEs and their transfer to plants.&lt;/p&gt;


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeryeong Jeong ◽  
Jin Young Choi ◽  
Kongtae Ra

AbstractPotentially toxic elements (PTEs) were investigated in the different sizes of road deposited sediments (RDS) around the active smelting industry to understand their sources and to assess the pollution and ecological risk levels. The highest PTEs concentrations was shown near the raw materials import port and the smelting facilities. The fine particles of RDS showed extremely high PTEs concentrations. Zn has the highest mean concentration in the < 63 μm particle size of RDS, followed by Pb > Cu > As > Cr > Ni > Cd > Hg. The PTEs concentrations of this study were the highest values compared to the soils around the smelter and the RDS in urban and industrial areas in the world. This indicates that these PTEs pollution in RDS were mainly attributed to the transportation of raw materials for the smelting industry. According to nemerow pollution index calculation, RDS at all sampling sites with particles of less than 250 mm was seriously polluted with PTEs. The ecological risk was also found to be very high in all RDS fractions and highly toxic elements such as Cd, Pb and Hg pose extremely risk. Given the total amounts PTEs in the road surface, it is necessary to apply RDS removal management plan to reduce the PTEs pollution.


Chemosphere ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (11) ◽  
pp. 1301-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Rodrigues ◽  
B. Henriques ◽  
J. Coimbra ◽  
E. Ferreira da Silva ◽  
M.E. Pereira ◽  
...  

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1307
Author(s):  
Jin-Young Choi ◽  
Hyeryeong Jeong ◽  
Kongtae Ra ◽  
Kyung-Tae Kim

Road and industrial origin particulate matters (PM) are a significant source of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), with health risks to the surrounding residents. In Korea for 60 years, although industries, roads and automobiles have increased aggressively, there are still few PTEs data in PM in road-deposited sediment (RDS) of industrial complexes (ICs). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the PTE composition of on-road PM10 from nine major ICs and its pollution degree in Korea and evaluate its human health risks. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI) elucidated that on-road PM10 were severely polluted by Sb, Zn, Ag and Pb. A combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and chemical tracers was used to define the PTEs sources. The results showed that non-exhaust emission from vehicles’ activity is the primary source of PTEs in on-road PM10, and industrial emissions are the secondary source. The riskiest pathway on carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic by on-road PM10 with PTEs was in-gestion. Traffic origin PTEs including Pb, As, Sb and Cd had a more significant impact on carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health than those of industrial origins. These results could help mitigate public health risks arising from on-road PM10 and improve air quality in ICs.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Liangliang Huang ◽  
Saeed Rad ◽  
Li Xu ◽  
Liangying Gui ◽  
Xiaohong Song ◽  
...  

This research has focused on the source identification, concentration, and ecological risk assessment of eight heavy metals in the largest karst wetland (Huixian) of south China. Numerous samples from superficial soil and sediment within ten representative landuse types were collected and examined, and the results were analyzed using multiple methods. Single pollution index (Pi) results were underpinned by the Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) method, in which Cd was observed as the priority pollutant with the highest contamination degree in this area. As for the most polluted landuse type, via applying Nemerow’s synthetical contamination index (PN) and Potential ecological risk index (RI), the river and rape field posed the highest ecological risks, while moderate for the rest. To quantify the drivers of the contaminants, a principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out and weathering of the watershed’s parent carbonate rocks was found to be the main possible origin, followed by anthropogenic sources induced by agricultural fertilizer. Considering the impacts of these potentially toxic elements on public health, the results of this study are essential to take preventive actions for environmental protection and sustainable development in the region.


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