Enrichment and solubility of trace metals associated with magnetic extracts in industrially derived contaminated soils

Magnetic fractions (MFs) in industrially derived contaminated soils were extracted with a magnetic separation procedure. Total, soluble, and bioaccessible Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in the MFs and non-magnetic fractions (NMFs) were analyzed using aqua regia and extraction tests, such as deionized water, toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), and gastric juice simulation (GJST) test. Compared with the non-magnetic fractions, soil MFs were enriched with Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni. Extraction tests indicated that soil MFs contained higher water, TCLP, and GJST-extractable Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations than the soil NMFs. The TCLP-extractable Pb concentration in the MFs exceeded the USEPA hazardous waste criteria, suggesting that soil MFs have a potentially environmental pollution risk. Solubility of trace metals was variable in the different extraction tests, which has the order of GJST?>?TCLP?>?water. TCLP test showed Cu and Zn were more mobile than Cr and Pb while bioaccessibility of trace metal defined by GJST test showed the order of Cu?≈?Cr?≈?Zn?>?Pb. These findings suggested that the MFs in the industrially derived contaminated soils had higher possibility of polluting water bodies, and careful environmental impact assessment was necessary.     

Determination of total and bioaccessible metals in airborne particulate matter from an urban and a rural area at Sarajevo

Airborne particulate matter of up to 10 µm collected at an urban and a rural area at Sarajevo in 2013 and 2014 was acid digested for determination of total concentrations or extracted with synthetic gastric juice for the bioaccessible fractions of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn and determined by graphite furnace and flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The total concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and V were higher at the urban site, while those of Cd, Ni, and Zn were virtually equal at both sites. The average bioaccessible fractions exhibited the following trend at both sites: Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Pb > Cr > V > Ni > Cd. Enrichment factors and daily intake of metals by inhalation were calculated.     

Ecological and human health risks from metal(loid)s in peri-urban soil in Nanjing,China

In order to investigate the ecological and human health risks of metal(loid)s (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd, Mn, Cr, and As) in peri-urban soils, 43 surface soil samples were collected from the peri-urban area around Nanjing, a megacity in China. The average contents were 1.19, 67.8, 37.6, 105, 167, 44.6, 722, and 50.8 mg kg^?1 for Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, and As, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Mn, and As (p < 0.01), and Cr had a significant positive correlation with Ni (p < 0.01). Geoaccumulation indices indicate the presence of Cd and As contamination in all of the peri-urban soil samples. Potential ecological risk indices show that the metal(loid)s in the soil could result in higher ecological risks. Cd is the main contributor to the risk, followed by As. The levels of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Mn, and As in stomach and intestinal phases show a positive linear correlation with their total contents. Mn, Zn, Ni, Cd, and Pb in stomach phase showed higher bioaccessibility, while in intestinal phase, Cu, Cr, and As had the higher bioaccessibility. The carcinogenic risk in children and adults posed by As, Pb, and Cr via ingestion was deemed acceptable. The non-carcinogenic risks posed by these metal(loid)s via ingestion to children are higher than to adults and mainly result from As.     

Assessing Cd,Pb, Zn human bioaccessibility in smelter-contaminated agricultural topsoils (northern France)

The extractability of Cd, Pb, and Zn was investigated in contaminated agricultural topsoils located in an area highly affected by the past atmospheric emissions of two smelters in northern France in order to assess their mobility and human bioaccessibility. The determination of Cd, Pb, and Zn bioaccessibility (Unified Barge Method, in vitro test) was made to evaluate the absolute trace element (TE) bioavailability. The results highlighted differences in bioaccessibility between Cd, Pb, and Zn (Cd > Pb > Zn). The mean values of the bioaccessible fractions of Cd, Pb, and Zn during the gastric phase were 82, 55, and 33%, respectively, of the pseudototal concentrations, whereas during the gastrointestinal phase, the bioaccessible fractions of metals decreased to 45, 20, and 10%, respectively. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that human bioaccessibility was affected by various physicochemical parameters (i.e., sand, carbonates, organic matter, assimilated P, free Al oxides, and pseudototal Fe contents). Sequential extractions were performed as an indication of the TE availability in these soils. Cadmium occurred in the more available fractions, Pb was mostly present as bound by oxides, and a significant contribution to the pseudototal Zn concentration was defined as the unavailable residual form related to the crystalline structures of minerals. The concepts of bioavailability and bioaccessibility are important for quantifying the risks associated with exposure to environmental pollutants and providing more realistic information for human health.     

Concentrations of some elements in the sediments of a river in Anhui Province,China

A total of 49 sediment samples from New Bian River near the city of Suzhou in northern Anhui Province, China, were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for As, Cr, Pb, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Ni. Geoaccumulation indices (I_geo) were used to assess the influence of human activities. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis were also performed. The geoaccumulation indices were in the order of As > Cu > Cr > Ni > Mn > Zn > Pb > Fe, the first four of which had values above 0.5. We considered New Bian River to be moderately contaminated with As, Cr, Cu, and Ni. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis indicated that the presence of Fe, Cu, Ni, Mn, Zn, and Pb in New Bian River was caused by soil or rock weathering, whereas the elevated levels of As and Cr depended upon urban, agricultural, and industrial factors. The sampling stations around the towns were dominated by Component 2 (As and Cr), and the sampling stations that distributed along New Bian River were dominated by Component 1 (Fe, Cu, Ni, Mn, Zn, and Pb).     

Elemental concentrations and in vitro bioaccessibility in Canadian background soils

Elemental concentrations and bioaccessibility were determined in background soils collected in Canada as part of the North American Geochemical Landscapes Project. The concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni and Zn were higher in the C-horizon (parent material) compared to 0–5 cm (surface soil), and this observation along with the regional distribution suggested that most of the variability in concentrations of these elements were governed by the bedrock characteristics. Unlike the above-stated elements, Pb and Cd concentrations were higher in the surface layer reflecting the potential effects of anthropogenic deposition. Elemental bioaccessibility was variable decreasing in the order Cd > Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni > Co > As > Cr for the surface soils. With the exception of As, bioaccessibility was generally higher in the C-horizon soils compared to the 0–5 cm soils. The differences in metal bioaccessibility between the 0–5 cm and the C-horizon and among the provinces may reflect geological processes and speciation. The mean, median or 95th percentile bioaccessibility for As, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni and Pb were all below 100 %, suggesting that the use of site-specific bioaccessibility results for these elements will yield more accurate estimation of the risk associated with oral bioavailability for sites where soil ingestion is the major contributor of human health risk.     

The influence of anthropogenic and natural geochemical factors on urban soil quality variability: a comparison between Glasgow, UK and Aveiro, Portugal

As part of a harmonised assessment of urban soils (), we investigated the variability of metal content in soils from Aveiro (Portugal) and Glasgow (UK). Samples were collected from parks and other public open spaces in each city. Metal content (Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) and basic soil parameters (texture, CEC, pH, organic matter) were determined and data investigated using principal component analysis (PCA). The two cities differ in absolute levels of metal content reflecting industrial and historical development. Factors identified by PCA included anthropogenic (Cu, Pb, Zn), soil properties and geology, which explain variability when data were assessed based on metal content, soil properties and land use. This study highlights the contribution from geological background even in strongly urbanised environments.     

Contamination characteristics of trace metals in dust from different levels of roads of a heavily air-polluted city in north China

Concentrations of eight trace metals (TMs) in road dust (RD) (particles?<?25 μm) from urban areas of Xinxiang, China, were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The geometric mean concentrations of Zn, Mn, Pb, As, Cu, Cr, Ni and Cd were 489, 350, 114, 101, 60.0, 39.7, 31.6, and 5.1 mg kg^?1, respectively. When compared with TM levels in background soil, the samples generally display elevated TM concentrations, except for Cr and Mn, and for Cd the enrichment value was 69.6. Spatial variations indicated TMs in RD from park path would have similar sources with main roads, collector streets and bypasses. Average daily exposure doses of the studied TMs were about three orders of magnitude higher for hand-to-mouth ingestion than dermal contact, and the exposure doses for children were 9.33 times higher than that for adults. The decreasing trend of calculated hazard indexes (HI) for the eight elements was As?>?Pb?>?Cr?>?Mn?>?Cd?>?Zn?>?Ni?>?Cu for both children and adults.     

The influence of physicochemical parameters on bioaccessibility-adjusted hazard quotients for copper,lead and zinc in different grain size fractions of urban street dusts and soils

When the hazard quotient for ingestion (HQI) of a trace element in soil and dust particles is adjusted for the element’s bioaccessibility, the HQI is typically reduced as compared to its calculation using pseudo-total element concentration. However, those studies have mostly used bulk particles (<2 mm or <250 µm), and the reduction in HQI when expressed as bioaccessible metal may not be similar among particle size fractions, the possibility probed by the present study of street dusts and soils collected in Tehran. The highest Cu, Pb and Zn near-total concentrations occurred in the finest particles of dusts and soils. Bioaccessible concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn in the particles (mg kg^?1) were obtained using simple bioaccessibility extraction test (SBET). The bioaccessibility (%) did not vary much among near-total concentrations. In the bulk (<250 µm) sample, the bioaccessible concentration of Cu and Pb increased as the pH of sample increased, while Zn bioaccessibility (%) in the bulk particles was influenced by organic matter and cation exchange capacity. X-ray diffraction identified sulfide and sulfate minerals in all of the size-fractionated particles, which are insoluble to slightly soluble in acidic conditions and included most of the Cu and Pb in the samples. The only Zn-bearing mineral identified was hemimorphite, which would be highly soluble in the SBET conditions. The calculated HQI suggested potential non-carcinogenic health risk to children and adults from ingestions of soils and dusts regardless of particle size consideration, in the order of Zn > Pb ≥ Cu. The HQI calculated from near-total metal was not much different for particle size classes relative to bulk particles; however, the bioaccessibility percent-adjusted HQI for Pb was higher for the smaller particles than the bulk. This work is novel in its approach to compare HQI for a bulk sample of particles with its composite particle size fractions.     

土壤中金属的生物可给性及其动态变化的研究

土壤中金属的生物可给性常应用于人体健康风险评价,如能准确地判定土壤中金属在胃肠阶段不同时间的溶出动态,研究者就可以更好地分析其对人体的健康风险。本文采集5种不同地区的重金属污染的土壤,利用改进的PBET方法,分别在胃阶段的20、40、60、80 min以及小肠阶段的1、2、3、4、5 h时取样并分析,探究土壤中8种金属元素（As、Al、Cd、Cr、Fe、Mn、Ni、Pb）的生物可给性和溶出动态,探讨造成金属溶出动态变化的影响因素,对其溶出机理进行初步探究。研究结果表明,Fe、Al的生物可给性较低,并且在胃肠阶段差异较小。与胃阶段相比,土壤中Pb、Cd的生物可给性在小肠阶段明显降低,而As、Mn、Cr、Ni的生物可给性在小肠阶段均升高。升幅最大的两个元素是Ni、Cr,其小肠阶段的平均生物可给性分别升高61.4%、29.9%。在溶出量随时间变化方面,在胃阶段,假定1 h时溶出率为100%。20 min时,土壤中Fe、Ni的平均溶出率较低,分别为59.3%、56.8%,其他6种金属元素的平均溶出率在71.2%~79.5%。As、Cd、Pb的溶出速率是先快后慢,Cr和Ni的溶出速率是先慢后快,而Fe、Mn、Al的溶出速率基本保持不变。在小肠阶段,假定4 h时溶出率为100%。Al、As、Cd、Mn的溶出率基本不变。1 h时,土壤中Cr（土壤A除外）、Ni的平均溶出率最低,分别为31.5%、32.7%,而5 h时,Fe、Cr、Ni的溶出率还在升高。由此可见,土壤中不同金属元素的生物可给性以及溶出动态是有明显差异的。     

Contamination and vertical distribution of As,Cd, Cr,Cu, Pb,Tl, and Zn in paddy soil irrigated with untreated leachate from tailings retention ponds

The contamination and vertical distribution of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Tl, and Zn in paddy soil irrigated with untreated leachate from the tailings retention pond were investigated. As, Cr, Cu, and Zn were slightly contaminated in the surface soil and hence their vertical distribution was not obvious. However, Cd and Pb were highly contaminated in the surface soil, while their concentrations decreased with depth, being negatively correlated with pH and positively with total organic matter. Tl was considerably contaminated in the surface soil and a V-shaped vertical distribution was observed where the concentration increased to a maximum at about 30 cm depth and decreased thereafter. The findings revealed that the regular irrigation with untreated leachate from the tailings retention ponds could cause considerable contamination of Cd, Pb, and Tl, and thus tailings should be stringently treated before disposal to minimize their potential environmental impacts on the surroundings.     

Assessment of metal contamination in soil banks of the Rhumel wadi (Northeast Algeria)

Levels of six trace metals were assessed in bank soils of the Rhumel wadi (Northeast Algeria) and their association with soil properties was investigated. Samples were collected at 10 sites. The soils are neutral to moderately alkaline, have high contents of carbonate, and are low in organic carbon and clay. Mean metal concentrations are 1.1 (Cd), 63 (Cr), 20 (Cu), 26 (Ni), 31 (Pb), and 98 (Zn) mg kg^?1. The Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn contents in soil from sites closest to Constantine City were higher than in uncontaminated soils worldwide, indicating accumulation due to human activities (residential, industrial, and agricultural). Statistical analyses (correlation and principal component analysis) demonstrated that Cd, Pb, and Zn are of anthropogenic origin in the urban areas, whereas Cr and Cu enrichment in some situations is caused by industrial activities, while Ni was geogenic.     

Metals in roadside soils of different grain sizes from high traffic roads in Kano metropolis,Nigeria

Roadside surface soil samples were collected from 10 locations along high traffic roads and a control site between December 2009 and September 2010. The samples were analyzed for particle size distribution, pH, organic matter, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cu, and Zn in different grain sizes. Generally, the results show a decrease in the concentrations of all the studied metals during the wet season in the following order, Zn?>?Pb?>?Ni?>?Cu?>?Cr?>?Cd. Correlation of metal concentrations on traffic volume is low except for Pb; other sources seem to contribute significantly to the metal burden of the soil. The ecological risk index indicates that the roadsides of Kano metropolis are suffering from high metal contamination, though ameliorated by rain.     

Geochemical speciation of trace metals in sediments of the northern Nile Delta Lake by sequential extraction technique

ABSTRACT

The present study was performed to investigate surface sediment samples from Lake Edku of the Nile Delta Lagoons, Egypt. The Lake is important for fishing in the region. The importance of research is to understand the mobility and bioavailability of each studied metal. The study was carried out on 10 sampling sites during 2017. The sediments were subjected to the technique of sequential extraction to examine the chemical forms of some trace metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni). Five stage extractions were done as the following order: soluble and exchangeable, carbonate, iron and manganese oxides, organic matter fraction and residual fraction. Attained results from the five fractions showed variations in the concentrations of metal contents of different sites under study. The overall metal concentrations (%) in the initial four extractable fractions (exchangeable, carbonate, oxides and organic matter fractions) were assessed to configure the mobility of each studied metal. The risk assessment code (RAC) represents the summation of exchangeable and carbonate fractions, it was between low and medium risk for aquatic environment. The range percentage of RAC for the metals was in the following order: 1.8–13, 4–23.5, 15–26, 5.7–19.5, 9–25 and 4.8–18.2 for Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni, respectively. Approximately 30% of the total copper was associated to the organic fraction, which may represent a high mobility of copper in these sediments. The highest mobility of metals in the sediments could be confirmed by its bioavailability factor (BF), which was within the ranges of 0.32–0.61, 0.36–0.59, 0.64–0.83, 0.36–0.72, 0.37–0.62 and 0.52–0.78 for Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni, respectively. The BF exhibited the following order: Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb ≈ Mn?>?Fe. The high levels of BF for the studied metals may represent the potentiality for toxic metals to be easily released into the aquatic environment.     

Heavy metals in soils and crops in Southeast Asia

In a reconnaisance soil geochemical and plant survey undertaken to study the heavy metal uptake by major food crops in Malaysia, 241 soils were analysed for cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (C), pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and available phosphorus (P) using appropriate procedures. These soils were also analysed for arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) using aqua regia digestion, together with 180 plant samples using nitric acid digestion. Regression analysis between the edible plant part and aqua regia soluble soil As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations sampled throughout Peninsular Malaysia, indicated a positive relationship for Pb in all the plants sampled in the survey (R2 = 0.195, p < 0.001), for Ni in corn (R2 = 0.649, p < 0.005), for Cu in chili (R2 = 0.344, p < 0.010) and for Zn in chili (R2 = 0.501, p < 0.001). Principal component analysis of the soil data suggested that concentrations of Co, Ni, Pb and Zn were strongly correlated with concentrations of Al and Fe, which is suggestive of evidence of background variations due to changes in soil mineralogy. Thus the evidence for widespread contamination of soils by these elements through agricultural activities is not strong. Chromium was correlated with soil pH and EC, Na, S, and Ca while Hg was not correlated with any of these components, suggesting diffuse pollution by aerial deposition. However As, Cd, Cu were strongly associated with organic matter and available and aqua regia soluble soil P, which we attribute to inputs in agricultural fertilisers and soil organic amendments (e.g. manures, composts).     

Accumulation and translocation of heavy metals in soil and plants from fly ash contaminated area

The present investigation deals with the accumulation of heavy metals in fields contaminated with fly ash from a thermal power plant and subsequent uptake in different parts of naturally grown plants. Results revealed that in the contaminated site, the mean level of all the metals (Cd, Zn, Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, Mn and Fe) in soil and different parts (root and shoots) of plant species were found to be significantly (p<0.01) higher than the uncontaminated site. The enrichment factor (EF) of these metals in contaminated soil was found to be in the sequence of Cd (2.33) > Fe (1.88) > Ni (1.58) > Pb (1.42) > Zn (1.31) > Mn (1.27) > Cr (1.11) > Cu (1.10). Whereas, enrichment factor of metals in root and shoot parts, were found to be in the order of Cd (7.56) > Fe (4.75) > Zn (2.79) > Ni (2.22) > Cu (1.69) > Mn (1.53) > Pb (1.31) > Cr (1.02) and Cd (6.06) approximately equal Fe (6.06) > Zn (2.65) > Ni (2.57) > Mn (2.19) > Cu (1.58) > Pb (1.37) > Cr (1.01) respectively. In contaminated site, translocation factor (TF) of metals from root to shoot was found to be in the order of Mn (1.38) > Fe (1.27) > Pb (1.03) > Ni (0.94) > Zn (0.85) > Cd (0.82) > Cr (0.73) and that of the metals Cd with Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe; Cr with Pb, Mn, Fe and Pb with Fe were found to be significantly correlated. The present findings provide us a clue for the selection of plant species, which show natural resistance against toxic metals and are efficient metal accumulators.     

Mobility of toxic elements in carbonate sediments from a mining area in Poland

The Boles?aw–Bukowno mining area in Poland is highly polluted by elements such as Zn, Pb, Cd and As. The reactivity and mobility of toxic elements such as Tl are poorly known. Here, we studied by sequential extraction the mobility of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Pb, Tl and Zn in sediments from two water reservoirs near Bukowno. Results show that available As, Co, Mn, Pb and Zn are found in carbonate minerals. Available Cd, Cu and Tl are found in sulphides and organic matter. The extractability of As, Cr, Mo and Tl was rather poor. By contrast, 85 % of total Cd, Pb and Zn was mobile. We discuss Tl and Mo association in carbonate sediments from ore deposits.     

宝鸡城市街尘、土壤及河流沉积物重金属形态迁移特征

在宝鸡城市街尘、土壤及河流沉积物基本理化性质和重金属元素含量分析的基础上,重点研究了重金属元素在街尘、土壤及河流沉积物中的赋存形态和迁移特征.结果表明:在街尘中Cu主要以可氧化态和残余态形式存在,Pb主要以可还原态和可氧化态形式存在,Zn和Cd主要以乙酸可提取态形式存在,Mn、Fe、Co、Ni和Cr主要以残余态形式存在...     

三峡库区主要粮食作物和土壤中重金属的相关性及富积特征分析

采用野外采样和室内分析,试验结果表明三峡库区土壤中重金属Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Fe、Cr的变异系数小于50%,重金属的含量比较稳定。稻谷（Oryza sativa）中Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Fe、Mn、Cr,玉米（Zea mays）中Pb、Cd、Fe、Mn、Cr和小麦（Triticum aestivum）中Cu、Pb、Cd、Fe、Mn、Cr的变异系数大于50%。土壤、稻谷、玉米、小麦中大部分重金属呈偏态分布。土壤中重金属间均为正相关,且极显著正相关性明显。稻谷、玉米、小麦中重金属间有正相关,也有负相关,但正相关明显多于负相关;稻谷、玉米、小麦中Mn同其它重金属间均有显著正相关性,协同作用明显。稻谷、玉米、小麦中Pb、Cd、Cr的样本超标率较大,污染明显,并且稻谷中Cd与土壤中Cd有直线关系。     

Metal partitioning in sediment pore water from the Ondo coastal region,Nigeria

Distribution and equilibrium partitioning of metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb, Mn, and Zn) between pore water and surface sediments at the Ilaje coast of Ondo State, Nigeria, were studied. The Ilaje River can be one of the interesting research locations because of its economic nature and history of oil pollution. Seasonal variations were observed to investigate possible variations in the availability of metals for organisms throughout the year. The concentrations in both sediments and pore water during the dry and wet seasons were as follows: Cu?>?Fe???Mn?>?Pb?>?Ni?>?Cr?>?Cd?>?Zn. The pore water–sediment partition coefficient (K _p) showed that Zn and Cd were highly mobile while Fe and Cu have restricted mobility. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in pore water had a strong influence on mobility and bioavailability of all the metals (p?K _oc), increased levels of Fe and Cu were linked to lithological origin. Concentrations of Pb and Ni were associated with petroleum-related sources. The significance of the field-based techniques for ecotoxicological purposes is discussed.