Risk assessment for safety of soils and vegetables around a lead/zinc mine

Concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu) were determined in soils and vegetables (chrysanthemum, spinach and four cultivars of Chinese cabbage from the area adjacent to a Pb/Zn mine in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, China, and compared with the Chinese National Standards for Soil Environmental Quality. The accumulation of heavy metals in cabbage cv. Siyuegreen was investigated at different distances from the center of the mine. The vegetable plantation soils were polluted with Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn, especially by Pb and Cd. The levels of Pb and Cd were 20 and 30 times higher than the permitted standards, indicating that this Pb/Zn mining area is unsuitable for agricultural use. Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum and spinach had different enrichment coefficients. The enrichment coefficient of Cd from soil to roots of chrysanthemum was >80% and from roots to leaves of cabbage cv. Shanghaigreen was >120%. These vegetables were polluted by heavy metals and could not be regarded as safe for human consumption. Environmental accumulation of heavy metals in the vegetable plantation soils was proportional to heavy metal accumulation in vegetables and both were inversely proportional to the distance from the lead/zinc mine.     

Concentration of heavy metals in vegetables and potential health risk assessment in China

Food safety is an important issue in the world. This study assessed the health risk for the Chinese public when consuming vegetables grown in China, based on 1335 data records from 220 published papers during 2007–2016. The results showed that the average of Pb, Cd, and Hg concentration in vegetables was 0.106, 0.041, and 0.008 mg/kg, which were lower than the maximum allowable concentrations, respectively. Leaf vegetables contained higher heavy metals than root vegetables and fruit vegetables. On a provincial scale, the highest Pb, Cd, and Hg concentrations in vegetables were determined by those in soil and atmosphere. The total health risk index showed that people in Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Hubei provinces in southern China, and Liaoning Province in northeast China, faced a high risk of Pb, Cd, and Hg when consuming vegetables.     

Heavy metal contamination in soils and food crops around Dabaoshan mine in Guangdong,China: implication for human health

This study was designed to investigate heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd) contamination levels of soils, vegetables, and rice grown in the vicinity of the Dabaoshan mine, south China. The concentration of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd in paddy soil exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations for Chinese agricultural soil. The heavy metal concentrations (mg kg⁻¹, dry weight basis) in vegetables ranged from 5.0 to 14.3 for Cu, 34.7 to 170 for Zn, 0.90 to 2.23 for Pb, and 0.45 to 4.1 for Cd. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in rice grain exceeded the maximum permissible limits in China. Dietary intake of Pb and Cd through the consumption of rice and certain vegetable exceeded the recommended dietary allowance levels. The status of heavy metal concentrations of food crops grown in the vicinity of Dabaoshan mine and their implications for human health should be further investigated.     

Foliar uptake and metal(loid) bioaccessibility in vegetables exposed to particulate matter

At the global scale, high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) enriched with metal(loid)s are currently observed in the atmosphere of urban areas. Foliar lead uptake was demonstrated for vegetables exposed to airborne PM. Our main objective here was to highlight the health risk associated with the consumption of vegetables exposed to foliar deposits of PM enriched with the various metal(loid)s frequently observed in the atmosphere of urban areas (Cd, Sb, Zn and Pb). Leaves of mature cabbage and spinach were exposed to manufactured mono-metallic oxide particles (CdO, Sb₂O₃ and ZnO) or to complex process PM mainly enriched with lead. Total and bioaccessible metal(loid) concentrations were then measured for polluted vegetables and the various PM used as sources. Finally, scanning electronic microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis was used to study PM–phyllosphere interactions. High quantities of Cd, Sb, Zn and Pb were taken up by the plant leaves. These levels depended on both the plant species and nature of the PM, highlighting the interest of acquiring data for different plants and sources of exposure in order to better identify and manage health risks. A maximum of 2 % of the leaf surfaces were covered with the PM. However, particles appeared to be enriched in stomatal openings, with up to 12 % of their area occupied. Metal(loid) bioaccessibility was significantly higher for vegetables compared to PM sources, certainly due to chemical speciation changes. Taken together, these results confirm the importance of taking atmospheric PM into account when assessing the health risks associated with ingestion of vegetables grown in urban vegetable crops or kitchen gardens.     

Influence of temperature on the heavy metals accumulation of five vegetable species in semiarid area of northwest China

The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effects of temperature on cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) accumulation in five vegetable species collected at different sites (Shuichuan, Beiwan, Dongwan and Wufe) in northwest China. The meteorological data of air and soil temperatures were recorded daily during the period from sowing to harvest for the five vegetables. The air and soil temperatures affected the capacity of pumpkin, cabbage, brassica napus and Chinese cabbage to accumulate Zn, Cd, Cu and Pb. Principal component analysis showed that temperature, photosynthetic and physiological factors all contributed to the soil–plant transfer properties of DTPA-extractable heavy metals. Temperature played a more important role in Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn accumulation in four vegetables in this semiarid area. However, the enormous surface area of spinach was likely to elevate heavy metal loads owing to atmospheric deposits. For most vegetables studied, there was a striking dissimilarity in the uptake and translocation ability of Cd, Zn and Cu in soil, but similar accumulation to translocation for Pb in soil.     

广州市蔬菜地重金属剂量对蔬菜富集重金属的影响--以菜心为例

调查并分析了广州市蔬菜地土壤和菜心中主要重金属元素质量分数，通过多元统计分析建立了菜心中某一重金属元素和土壤中元素的数学回归模型。结果表明，Cd更易在菜心体内造成累积；总体上菜心中重金属质量分数与其在土壤中的质量分数有一定的相关性，菜心中Pb、As的积累分别取决于土壤中Pb、As的质量分数，土壤中Pb和As还分别促进了菜心对Cr、Hg的吸收，Pb对菜心中Cd的累积表现为协同作用；土壤重金属质量分数临界值可为今后无污染蔬菜的生产提供参考依据。     

Measurement of metal bioaccessibility in vegetables to improve human exposure assessments: field study of soil–plant–atmosphere transfers in urban areas,South China

The quality of cultivated consumed vegetables in relation to environmental pollution is a crucial issue for urban and peri-urban areas, which host the majority of people at the global scale. In order to evaluate the fate of metals in urban soil–plant–atmosphere systems and their consequences on human exposure, a field study was conducted at two different sites near a waste incinerator (site A) and a highway (site B). Metal concentrations were measured in the soil, settled atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and vegetables. A risk assessment was performed using both total and bioaccessible metal concentrations in vegetables. Total metal concentrations in PM were (mg kg^?1): (site A) 417 Cr, 354 Cu, 931 Zn, 6.3 Cd and 168 Pb; (site B) 145 Cr, 444 Cu, 3289 Zn, 2.9 Cd and 396 Pb. Several total soil Cd and Pb concentrations exceeded China’s Environmental Quality Standards. At both sites, there was significant metal enrichment from the atmosphere to the leafy vegetables (correlation between Pb concentrations in PM and leaves: r = 0.52, p < 0.05) which depended on the plant species. Total Cr, Cd and Pb concentrations in vegetables were therefore above or just under the maximum limit levels for foodstuffs according to Chinese and European Commission regulations. High metal bioaccessibility in the vegetables (60–79 %, with maximum value for Cd) was also observed. The bioaccessible hazard index was only above 1 for site B, due to moderate Pb and Cd pollution from the highway. In contrast, site A was considered as relatively safe for urban agriculture.     

Exposure assessment of heavy metals (Cd,Hg, and Pb) by the intake of local foods from Zhejiang,China

Considering the environmental pollution, food safety is of great concern to the consumers. The present study was conducted to assess the health risk of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) through the dietary intake in Zhejiang, China. Eight hundred and sixty two food samples including aquatic products, meat, vegetables, milk and dairy products, and cereal grains were analyzed. Only 2.44 % (Cd), 1.39 % (Hg), and 1.51 % (Pb) of the samples exceeded the maximum allowable concentration set by Chinese Ministry of Health. The average dietary intakes of Cd, Hg, and Pb were estimated to be 0.26, 0.14, and 0.55 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. Compared with the reference doses, the mean exposure of Cd, Hg, and Pb was all less than the tolerable intake value. Only at the 95th percentile level, Cd and Hg exposure exceeded the values of tolerable intakes by 40 and 277 %, respectively. It indicates that there is low health risk to the dietary exposure of Cd, Hg, and Pb for general people in Zhejiang province, China.     

Metal-contaminated potato crops and potential human health risk in Bolivian mining highlands

This study assessed metals in irrigation water, soil and potato crops impacted by mining discharges, as well as potential human health risk in the high desert near the historic mining center of Potosí, Bolivia. Metal concentrations were compared with international concentration limit guidelines. In addition, an ingested average daily dose and minimum risk level were used to determine the hazard quotient from potato consumption for adults and children. Irrigation water maximum concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in mining-impacted sites were elevated 20- to 1100-fold above international concentration limit guidelines. Agricultural soils contained total metal concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn that exceeded concentration limits in agricultural soil guidelines by 22-, 9-, 3- and 12-fold, respectively. Potato tubers in mining-impacted sites had maximum concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn that exceeded concentration limits in commercially sold vegetables by 9-, 10-, 16- and fourfold, respectively. Using conservative assumptions, hazard quotients (HQ) for potatoes alone were elevated for As, Cd and Pb among children (range 1.1–71.8), in nearly all of the mining-impacted areas; and for As and Cd among adults (range 1.2–34.2) in nearly all of the mining-impacted areas. Only one mining-impacted area had a Pb adult HQ for potatoes above 1 for adults. Toxic trace elements in a major regional dietary staple may be a greater concern than previously appreciated. Considering the multitude of other metal exposure routes in this region, it is likely that total HQ values for these metals may be substantially higher than our estimates.     

粤北星子河水生生物体内重金属污染特征及健康风险

本文分析了粤北星子河12种水生生物样品中Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb、Ni和Zn等6种金属元素的含量水平。利用综合污染指数法和目标危害系数法对水生生物中重金属的污染特征及其健康风险进行评价。结果表明:不同水生生物对重金属的富集程度存在明显差异,重金属的含量水平从低到高顺序依次为:CdNiPbCrCuZn;鱼类富集重金属明显低于贝类。在贝类样品中,Cr、Pb和Zn的含量均出现超标现象。鱼类重金属综合污染指数低于1,属于微污染;而田螺重金属综合污染指数大于1,属于轻度污染水平。不同鱼类中重金属的复合健康危害系数(TTHQ)均小于1,且每周评估摄入量(EDI)均远低于暂定每周允许摄入量(PTWI),居民通过鱼类摄入重金属的健康风险较低;田螺中重金属对人的复合健康危害系数大于1,长期食用田螺存在较高的健康风险,风险较高的重金属元素为Cr、Pb和Zn。     

An exposure-risk assessment for potentially toxic elements in rice and bulgur

Rice and wheat are rich sources of essential elements. However, they may also accumulate potentially toxic elements (PTE). Bulgur, the popular alternative to rice in the eastern Mediterranean, is produced by processing wheat, during which PTE content may change. This study determined PTE concentrations in rice and bulgur collected from 50 participant households in the city of Izmir, Turkey, estimated ingestion exposure, and associated chronic-toxic and carcinogenic human health risks. Comparison of the determined concentrations to the available standard levels and the levels reported in the literature revealed that Cd, Co, and Pb in rice might be of concern. The estimated health risks of individual participants supported this result with exceedance of respective threshold or acceptable risk levels at the 95th percentile. Population risk estimates indicated that the proportion with higher than the threshold or acceptable risk is about 10, 24, and 12% for Cd, Co, and Pb in rice, respectively. Results of this study showed that health risks associated with PTE exposure through bulgur consumption are lower than those of rice, and below the threshold or acceptable risk levels.     

施用石灰对Pb、Cd、Zn在土壤中的形态及大白菜中累积的影响

重金属的不同形态对于作物吸收重金属及受害具有十分密切的关系,通过施用石灰改变重金属的形态、毒性以及对作物的影响具有重要的意义。以大白菜(Brassica pekinensis)为研究对象,通过盆栽试验,探讨了在铅、镉和锌污染土壤上,施用石灰对土壤中不同形态镉、铅和锌含量及在大白菜中累积的影响。结果表明,施用石灰后,土壤中碳酸盐结合态Pb、Cd和Zn含量明显减少,铁、锰氧化物结合态和有机物结合态Pb、Cd和Zn含量明显增加;对大白菜吸收Pb、Cd和Zn均起到较好的抑制作用,石灰用量为5g·kg-1土时,对大白菜吸收Pb、Cd和Zn的抑制效果最好。     

桂林市土壤和蔬菜镉含量调查及食用安全性评估

对桂林市蔬菜和菜地土壤镉含量进行调查,评价其累积状况,并评估人体经食用蔬菜摄入镉的安全性。结果显示,桂林市菜地土壤镉含量空间变异较大,呈现西北部和西南部低、东北部和东南部高的分布特点;与背景样点相比,菜地土壤镉累积效应显著,土壤镉含量范围、中值、算术均值和几何均值分别为0.056～17.35、0.624、1.193和0.696 mg.kg-1,超标率为85.5%。蔬菜镉含量范围、中值和几何均值分别为0.09～663.2、29.4和29.2μg.kg-1(以鲜质量计),综合超标率为4.95%;叶菜类蔬菜镉含量显著高于根茎类和瓜果类,花菜、韭菜、大白菜、大葱、芋头、豆苗、萝卜、菠菜、大蒜和蕃茄的镉富集系数较低,抗镉污染能力较强。桂林市居民人均通过食用蔬菜的镉摄入量为9.08μg.d-1,对普通人群不存在明显的食用安全风险。     

工业城市不同功能区土壤和蔬菜中重金属污染及其健康风险评价

为了研究和评价工业城市不同功能区的土壤和蔬菜中重金属污染和健康风险状况,以株洲市为例,在工业区（石峰区）、农业区（芦淞区）和旅游区（大京风景区）分别采集土壤和蔬菜样品,分析重金属Cd、As、Pb、Hg、Zn、Cr和Cu的质量分数,并采用地质累积指数法（Igeo）和健康风险评价模型分别对土壤和蔬菜中重金属进行评价。结果表明：工业区、农业区和旅游区土壤中Cd、As、Pb、Hg、Zn、Cr和Cu的平均质量分数都超出湖南省土壤背景值,部分重金属甚至超出国家土壤环境质量二级标准。不同功能区土壤中重金属的地质累积指数（Igeo）表明：工业区、农业区和旅游区土壤受到不同程度的重金属污染,其中Cd和Hg的污染最为严重,污染程度依次是工业区〉农业区〉旅游区。不同功能区蔬菜中Cd、As、Pb和Zn的危害商（HQ）值都大于1.0,而Cu和Cr的危害商（HQ）都小于1.0。不同功能区蔬菜中重金属危害指数（HI）都大于10.0,尤其是工业区蔬菜的危害指数（HI）〉100.0,当地成年人食用受到重金属污染的蔬菜会导致严重的健康危害,其中Cd和As,是危害指数（HI）的主要贡献者,两者贡献率之和的范围为75%~89%,而Cr的贡献率几乎为0。     

Trace metals accumulation in soil irrigated with polluted water and assessment of human health risk from vegetable consumption in Bangladesh

Trace metals accumulation in soil irrigated with polluted water and human health risk from vegetable consumption was assessed based on the data available in the literature on metals pollution of water, soil, sediment and vegetables from the cites of Bangladesh. The quantitative data on metal concentrations, their contamination levels and their pollution sources have not been systematically gathered and studied so far. The data on metal concentrations, sources, contamination levels, sample collection and analytical tools used were collected, compared and discussed. The USEPA-recommended method for health risk assessment was used to estimate human risk from vegetable consumption. Concentrations of metals in water were highly variable, and the mean concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu and As in water were found to be higher than the FAO irrigation water quality standard. In most cases, mean concentrations of metals in soil were higher than the Bangladesh background value. Based on geoaccumulation index (I _geo) values, soils of Dhaka city are considered as highly contaminated. The I _geo shows Cd, As, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cr contamination of agricultural soils and sediments of the cities all over the Bangladesh. Polluted water irrigation and agrochemicals are identified as dominant sources of metals in agricultural soils. Vegetable contamination by metals poses both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to the public. Based on the results of the pollution and health risk assessments, Cd, As, Cr, Cu, Pb and Ni are identified as the priority control metals and the Dhaka city is recommended as the priority control city. This study provides quantitative evidence demonstrating the critical need for strengthened wastewater discharge regulations in order to protect residents from heavy metal discharges into the environment.     

Assessment of metals in fourteen species of vegetables and crops cultivated in a suburban area using multivariate analyses

Concentrations of seven metals (Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) were determined in 14 plant species including vegetables and crops from an agricultural area located at the Southern part of the Iranian capital, near the Tehran oil refinery. Different statistical methods, especially multivariate ones, were employed for the analysis of the results. Based on the results of agglomerative hierarchical method for clustering of the grid cells, some similarities between the dendrograms of Pb, Ni, and V and, furthermore, between Mn and Cr were observed that could be attributed to their similar distribution sources in the study area. The principal component analysis showed that with respect to accumulation of all the metals in the plant species, two main groups could be identified. The highest mean concentrations of all metals (except for Pb) were found in onions. In all plants the mean concentrations of Cd and Pb were considerably higher than limits stated in international guidelines for human consumption. The levels of the metals in onions exceeded these limits. Moreover, the Cr concentrations in mint and basil and the Zn concentrations in tarragon and parsley were higher than the established limits.     

Heavy metal characteristics in Ko?ani Field plant system (Republic of Macedonia)

Heavy metal contamination of soils is widespread and induces a long-term risk to ecosystem health. This research focuses on the heavy metal contamination, transfer values and risk assessment in the Ko?ani Field plant system (Republic of Macedonia). To identify the heavy metal concentrations in Ko?ani crops (rice and maize), the geochemical analysis was performed by inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometer and thereupon the transfer factor (TF) and estimated daily intake amount values were calculated. The highest As, Cd, Mo, Pb and Zn values were determined in the rice samples grown in the paddy fields near the Zletovska River. The highest Pb and Mo concentrations measured in the maize samples were from the maize fields near the Zletovska River and Ciflik city. High TF values for Mo, Zn, Cd and Cu revealed a strong accumulation of Mo, Zn and Cd by rice and Mo and Zn by maize crops. The results of the estimated daily intake showed that the regular consumption of rice and maize crops containing the highest Cd, Mo, Pb and Zn concentrations could pose a serious threat to human health, because the daily intake of Cd, Mo, Pb and Zn for crops grown in the fields around the Zletovska River exceeded the recommended provisional tolerable daily intake values. Taking into account the results, the area around Zletovska River is considered as the most anthropogenically impacted part of Ko?ani Field.     

Investigation and risk assessment modeling of As and other heavy metals contamination around five abandoned metal mines in Korea

Tailings, agricultural soils, vegetables and groundwater samples were collected from abandoned metal mines (Duckum, Dongil, Dongjung, Myoungbong and Songchun mines) in Korea. Total concentrations of arsenic (As) and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) were analyzed to investigate the contamination level. Several digestion methods (Toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP), synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP), 0.1 N/1 N HCl) and sequential extraction analysis for mine tailings were conducted to examine the potential leachability of As and heavy metals from the tailings. The order of urgent remediation for the studied mines based on the risk assessment and remedial goals was suggested. The Songchun mine tailings were most severely contaminated by As and heavy metals. Total concentrations of As and Pb in the tailings were 38,600–58,700 mg/kg (av. 47,400 mg/kg) and 11,800–16,800 mg/kg (av. 14,600 mg/kg), respectively. Agricultural soils having high As concentrations were found at the all mines. Average concentrations of Cd in the vegetables exceeded the normal value at all mines areas, while As only at the Dongjung, Myoungbong, and Songchun mine area. One groundwater sample each from the Dongil and Myoungbong mines, and 4 groundwater samples from the Songchun mine had values above 10 μg/L of As concentration. The TCLP method revealed that only Pb in the Songchun tailings, 6.49 mg/L, exceeded the regulatory level (5 mg/L). Employing the 1-N HCl digestion method, the concentration of As in the Songchun mine tailings, 4,250 mg/kg, was up to 3,000 times higher than its Korean countermeasure standard. Results from the sequential extraction of As in the tailings showed that the easily releasable fraction in the Myoungbong and Songchun mine tailings was more than 30% and the residual fraction was less than 40%. Based on results showing the exposure health risk employing the hazard quotient and cancer risk of As, Cd and Zn, the Dongil mine needs the most urgent remedial action. The concentration reduction factor (CRF) of As in both soil and groundwater follows the order: Songchun>Dongjung>Dongil>Myoungbong>Duckum mine.     

Assessment of As and Heavy Metal Contamination in the Vicinity of Duckum Au-Ag Mine, Korea

In order to assess the potential of As and heavy metal contamination derived from past mining activity and to estimate the human bioavailability quotients for As and heavy metals. Tailings, soils and crop samples were collected and analysed for As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the tailings were 68.5, 7.8, 99, 3,754 and 733 µg g^–1, respectively. Maximum Pb concentration in tailings was up to 90 times higher than its tolerable level. The concentrations of these metals were highest in the soils from the dressing plant area, and decreased in the order: farmland soil to paddy soil. In particular, some of the soils from the dressing plant area contained more than 1% of Pb and Zn. The pollution index ranged from 0.19 to 1.93 in paddy soils, and from 1.47 to 3.60 in farmland soils. The average concentrations of heavy metals in crops collected from farmland were higher than those in rice stalks or rice grains, and higher than the internationally accepted limits for vegetables. Element concentrations extracted from farmland soils within the simulated human stomach for 1 h are 9.4 mg kg^–1 As, 3.8 mg kg^–1 Cd, 37 mg kg^–1 Cu, 250 mg kg^–1 Pb and 301 mg kg^–1 Zn. In particular, the extracted concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn are in excess of the tolerable levels. The results of the simple bioavailability extraction test (SBET) indicate that regular ingestion (by inhalation and from dirty hands) of soils by the local population could pose a potential health threat due to long-term toxic element exposure.     

滦河流域鲫鱼体内重金属分布及风险评价

采集滦河流域鲫鱼样本并分析重金属元素(Cu、Zn、Cr、Pb、As、Cd)在其体内的分布特征及食用风险。实验结果表明鲫鱼体内重金属含量由高到低顺序为ZnCrCuPbAsCd,蓄积器官主要为肝脏和鳃部,Cu和Cr主要蓄积在肝脏,Zn、Pb、Cd主要富集在鳃部,As的蓄积器官随地域变化,而且下游样本中各组织器官重金属含量下游高于上游。针对鲫鱼肌肉的评价表明,Zn、Cr、Pb含量超出《无公害食品水产品中有毒有害物质限量》(NY5073—2006)、《食品污染物限量》(GB2762—2012)和《食品中锌限量卫生标准》(GB 13106—1991)规定的标准限值,超出倍数依次为Cr(3.34)Pb(2.24)Cd(1.15)。基于目标危险系数法(THQ)评价结果表明鲫鱼肌肉组织单一重金属THQ值均小于1,As导致的健康风险最高,Cr最低;总风险系数(TTHQ)显示下游的溯河(TTHQ=1.263)与陡河(TTHQ=1.381)存在食用风险,风险比重较高的元素是As、Pb、Zn。