Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in urban soils from southwest China

To identify the concentrations and sources of heavy metals, and to assess soil environmental quality, 63 soil samples were collected in Yibin City, Sichuan Province, China. Mean concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu were 10.55, 61.23, 138.88 and 56.35 mg/kg, respectively. As concentrations were comparable to background values, while Pb, Zn, and Cu concentrations were higher than their corresponding background values. Industrial areas exhibited the highest concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu, while the lowest concentrations occurred in parks. Statistical analysis was performed and two cluster groups of metals were identified with Pb, Zn, and Cu in one group and As in the other. Spatial distribution maps indicated that Pb, Zn, and Cu were mainly controlled by anthropogenic activities, whereas As could be mainly accounted for by soil parent materials. Pollution index values of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu varied in the range of 0.24-1.93, 0.66-7.24, 0.42-4.19, and 0.62-5.25, with mean values of 0.86, 1.98, 1.61, and 1.78, respectively. The integrated pollution index (IPI) values of these metals varied from 0.82 to 3.54, with a mean of 1.6 and more than 90% of soil samples were moderately or highly contaminated with heavy metals. The spatial distribution of IPI showed that newer urban areas displayed relatively lower heavy metal contamination in comparison with older urban areas.     

环鄱阳湖区农田土壤重金属空间分布及污染评价

为了解环鄱阳湖区农田土壤重金属污染状况,采用单因子指数法、内梅罗指数法、地质累积指数法、潜在生态危害指数法对环鄱阳湖区农田表层土壤(0~20 cm)中7种重金属元素进行污染及生态风险评价,并将地统计学方法与GIS技术相结合分析环鄱阳湖区农田土壤重金属的空间分布特征.结果表明:(1)土壤中重金属Hg、As、Pb、Cd、Cu、Cr、Zn的平均含量分别为0.12、13.15、35.44、0.18、38.45、81.91、80.45 mg·kg~(-1),与江西省土壤环境背景值相比较,均有不同程度累积,Cr、Cu、Cd累积富集情况最严重,内梅罗指数法与潜在生态危害指数法评价结果均表明,环鄱阳湖区土壤重金属综合污染情况为轻度污染,鄱阳县、进贤县、乐平市、南昌县、万年县、新建县以及余干县累积污染情况较严重.(2)以国家土壤环境质量二级标准为评价标准,超标率12.24%=CuCdAsHgCr=8.85%ZnPb,表明研究区部分农田土壤样点Cu、Cd、As、Hg、Cr累积程度已威胁到农作物产量和质量,但总体上为清洁状态.土壤中Hg、Cd达到中等生态危害程度,研究区农田土壤中重金属总体表现为轻微危害程度.(3)半方差函数模型拟合结果显示,Hg、Pb、Cr、Zn符合指数模型,As符合球状模型,Cu、Cd符合线性模型.As、Pb、Cd、Cu的含量总体上呈现出东部地区高、西部地区低的趋势,主要在鄱阳县、乐平市、万年县及余干县等地富集.Zn的含量在中北部地区偏低、在东南部地区较高,乐平市、万年县富集相对严重.Hg、Cr是由西南地区向东北地区递减的梯度变化,两种重金属元素均主要在南昌市各县区累积.     

Soil heavy metal pollution from Pb/Zn smelting regions in China and the remediation potential of biomineralization

Smelting activities pose serious environmental problems due to the local and regional heavy metal pollution in soils they cause. It is therefore important to understand the pollution situation and its source in the contaminated soils. In this paper, data on heavy metal pollution in soils resulting from Pb/Zn smelting (published in the last 10 years) in China was summarized. The heavy metal pollution was analyzed from a macroscopic point of view. The results indicated that Pb, Zn, As and Cd were common contaminants that were present in soils with extremely high concentrations. Because of the extreme carcinogenicity, genotoxicity and neurotoxicity that heavy metals pose, remediation of the soils contaminated by smelting is urgently required. The primary anthropogenic activities contributing to soil pollution in smelting areas and the progressive development of accurate source identification were performed. Due to the advantages of biominerals, the potential of biomineralization for heavy metal contaminated soils was introduced. Furthermore, the prospects of geochemical fraction analysis, combined source identification methods as well as several optimization methods for biomineralization are presented, to provide a reference for pollution investigation and remediation in smelting contaminated soils in the future.     

焉耆盆地土壤重金属的污染及潜在生态风险评价

通过采集干旱区典型绿洲-焉耆盆地表层土壤样品,测试其中10种重金属的含量,采用多元统计分析、污染指数法及潜在生态风险指数法研究土壤中重金属的赋存特征、来源及其污染状况和潜在的生态风险.结果表明:焉耆盆地土壤中10种重金属的平均值和最大值均未超过土壤环境质量二级标准,但重金属Zn、Pb、Cu、Ni、As和Cr的最大值超过新疆土壤背景值,超标率分别为8%、7%、11%、9.2%、12%和8.1%. 统计分析表明焉耆盆地土壤中10种重金属的平均含量顺序为: Mn>Zn>Cr>Ni>Cu>Co>Pb>As>Cd>Hg. 研究表明焉耆盆地土壤中重金属Zn、Pb、Hg、Cu之间具有较高的相关性, 主要来源于人为污染;重金属Mn、Co、Cd、Cr、Ni、As之间具有较高的相关性,主要来源于自然地质背景;污染指数评价表明焉耆盆地土壤中10种重金属均未出现污染状况,处于较低的生态风险,但土壤中重金属Pb、Zn、Hg的含量在部分地区相对较高的现象应引起重视.     

Impacts of pollution heterogeneity on population exposure in dense urban areas using ultra-fine resolution air quality data

Traditional air quality data have a spatial resolution of 1 km or above, making it challenging to resolve detailed air pollution exposure in complex urban areas. Combining urban morphology, dynamic traffic emission, regional and local meteorology, physicochemical transformations in air quality models using big data fusion technology, an ultra-fine resolution modeling system was developed to provide air quality data down to street level. Based on one-year ultra-fine resolution data, this study investigated the effects of pollution heterogeneity on the individual and population exposure to particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃) in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated and urbanized cities. Sharp fine-scale variabilities in air pollution were revealed within individual city blocks. Using traditional 1 km average to represent individual exposure resulted in a positively skewed deviation of up to 200% for high-end exposure individuals. Citizens were disproportionally affected by air pollution, with annual pollutant concentrations varied by factors of 2 to 5 among 452 District Council Constituency Areas (DCCAs) in Hong Kong, indicating great environmental inequities among the population. Unfavorable city planning resulted in a positive spatial coincidence between pollution and population, which increased public exposure to air pollutants by as large as 46% among districts in Hong Kong. Our results highlight the importance of ultra-fine pollutant data in quantifying the heterogeneity in pollution exposure in the dense urban area and the critical role of smart urban planning in reducing exposure inequities.     

Estimation of the accumulation rates and health risks of heavy metals in residential soils of three metropolitan cities in China

Heavy metal concentrations in urban soils are likely to increase over time because of continuous urbanization and heavy metal emissions. To estimate the accumulation rates of heavy metals in urban soils, we collected soil samples from residential areas with different building ages in the metropolitan cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing, China. Heavy metal concentrations in the soils varied among the cities and were primarily affected by soil parent material and the intensity of anthropogen...     

In-situ observations of internal dissolved heavy metal release in relation to sediment suspension in lake Taihu, China

Despite laboratory experiments that have been performed to study internal heavy metal release, our understanding of how heavy metals release in shallow eutrophic lakes remains limited for lacking in-situ evidence. This study used automatic environmental sensors and a water sampling system to conduct high-frequency in-situ observations(1-hr intervals) of water environmental variables and to collect water samples(3-hr intervals), with which to examine the release of internal heavy metals in Lake T...     

基于正定矩阵因子分析模型的城郊农田土壤重金属源解析

选取南京城郊农田为研究对象,通过正定矩阵因子分析法(PMF)探究表层土壤重金属主要来源,将预测值和实测值进行线性拟合,讨论该方法的准确性,并利用Pb稳定同位素比值结果进行对比分析,进一步验证该方法的可行性.结果表明,农田表层土壤Cd、As、Hg、Pb、Cu、Zn和Cr的平均含量远远超过背景值,部分土壤样点Cd和Cu超过国家土壤环境质量标准的二级标准.常年大量施用肥料等农业投入品进行高强度农业活动、周边工业生产、交通污染和自然母质均对研究区土壤重金属的累积产生一定的贡献.PMF模型模拟的Cd、Hg和Cr预测值与实测值线性拟合r2均大于90%,其余元素r2均大于70%,呈现很好的相关性,满足研究需要.PMF模型和Pb稳定同位素比值法计算大气降尘对土壤Pb累积的贡献率分别为32.1%和36.8%,结果比较接近,表明PMF模型可以很好地应用于土壤重金属源解析研究.     

Mobility and sulfidization of heavy metals in sediments of a shallow eutrophic lake, Lake Taihu, China

The technique of DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) using three diffusive gel thicknesses was applied to estimate the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals in sediments and porewater of Lake Taihu, China. The DGT results showed significantly positive correlations between Co, Pb, Cd and Mn, and Ni and Fe concentrations in porewater. Cu and Zn showed a significantly negative correlation with Mn, due to Cu combination with carbonates and Zn derived from agricultural pollution, respectively. The rank order of average concentrations of Co, Ni and Cd at each station was DGT_1.92 > DGT_0.78 > DGT_0.39, suggesting stronger resupply from sediments to porewater when using thicker diffusive gels. Comparing centrifugation and DGT measurements, Co, Ni and Cd are highly labile; Mn and Fe are moderately labile; and Cu, Zn and Pb are slightly labile. The variations of AVS concentrations in sediment cores indicate that metal sulfides in deeper layers are easily diffused into surface sediments.     

Source identification, contamination status and health risk assessment of heavy metals from road dusts in Dhaka, Bangladesh

In this study, concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were determined in road dusts collected from different locations in Dhaka to assess source, contamination status and health risk. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to determine Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb and their mean concentrations were 162.27 ± 29.46, 721.18 ± 180.14, 35.65 ± 12.55, 104.56 ± 128.33, 515.32 ± 321.90, BDL, and 342.82 ± 591.20 mg/kg, respectively. Among the heavy metals, highest concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb were found at urban sites-7 (municipal waste dumping) and 8 (medical waste incineration). Highest concentration of Cr followed by Cu and Zn was found at site-5 (Tejgaon, urban). Principal component analysis revealed that anthropogenic activities are the potential sources for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb while earth crust for Mn. Pollution index and pollution load index results suggested that all the sites were contaminated and/or degraded by Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb except sites-9 (urban), 10 (sub-urban), 11 (rural) while sites-7 and 8 (urban) were extremely degraded. For noncarcinogenic health risk, hazard quotient values for dermal were higher compared to that of inhalation/ingestion. Though hazard index values were less than 1 at all the sites, these were at least one order of magnitude higher for children group than that of adult group, thus the children group may face more noncarcinogenic health risk at sites-7 and 8. Values of incremental lifetime cancer risk were from 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻¹¹ showed no carcinogenic health risk by road dusts contaminated with the heavy metals.     

路旁土壤公路源重金属含量空间分布数值模型的探讨

公路源重金属产生后,赋存于大气颗粒物中,随颗粒物在大气中迁移沉降,最终沉降于路旁土壤中.本研究通过对公路源重金属迁移机理的分析,以高斯污染物扩散模型为基础,构建公路源重金属在路旁土壤中空间分布的数值模型,并用G310国道杏花营断面路旁土壤重金属(Cd、Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn)含量空间分布实测数据对模型预测能力进行验证.结果表明:土壤Cr和Cu含量呈指数分布,土壤Cd、Ni、Pb和Zn含量呈偏态分布,指数分布实质上是偏态分布的峰值十分接近路基的一种特例.研究表明,本文构造的数值模型可以较好地拟合上述两种路旁土壤重金属空间分布形式,模拟情景数n的取值越大,模拟结果越准确.     

Atmospheric carbonyls in a heavy ozone pollution episode at a metropolis in Southwest China: Characteristics, health risk assessment, sources analysis

Ambient carbonyls were continuously observed in the field during a heavy ozone pollution episode in Chengdu, China from August 4 to August 19, 2019, and the pollution characteristics, atmospheric photochemical reactivity, human health risk, and sources of carbonyls were analyzed. Fifteen carbonyls were quantified with average total mixing ratios of 20.38 ppbv Formaldehyde(9.86 ppbv), acetone(4.41 ppbv), and acetaldehyde(3.57 ppbv) were the three most abundant carbonyls. During the heavy ozone po...     

Water incubation-induced fluctuating release of heavy metals in two smelter-contaminated soils

The soil moisture regime can affect the release of heavy metals in soil. In the previous studies, slightly polluted soils or artificially contaminated soil samples were considered to investigate the effect of soil moisture. We used highly smelter-contaminated and aged soils to study the release of typical heavy metals(Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) induced by water incubation in batch experiments with characterization via speciation and X-ray diffraction analyses(XRD). The results show that the leachable concentrations of the heavy metals increased slightly in the first 30 days, decreased drastically between 30 and 90 days, and immobilized relatively constant thereafter. The fluctuation was ascribed to the changes of soil Eh and pH, the reductive dissolution of crystalline iron oxides, the formation of new amorphous iron oxides, the absorption of dissolved organic matter and the precipitation of metal sulfide. Speciation analysis indicated that a proportion of the soil heavy metals was transformed from an exchangeable fraction to a less labile fraction after water incubation. And the presence of a lead iron oxide phase and the peak increasing of zinc sulfide were observed via XRD analyses. Finally, water incubation restrained the release of heavy metals after 180 days of incubation, and reduced the leachability of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb by as much as 1.61%–7.21% for soil A and 0.43%–3.36% for soil B, respectively. The study findings have implications for the formulation of risk control and management strategies for heavy metals in smelter-contaminated soils.     

Characterizing spatial distribution and sources of heavy metals in the soils from mining-smelting activities in Shuikoushan, Hunan Province, China

The spatial variation of heavy metals in the soils in Shuikoushan mining-smelting area, Hunan Province, China, was investigated using multivariate and geo-statistic analysis. A total of 106 composite soil samples were collected in an area of about 100 km2. Concentrations of total As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cr were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Arsenic and Pb were found to have a common source, indicating the same sources and spreading processes, such as aerosols and airborne particulates from smelting chimneys. Airborne sources from smelting chimneys contributed greatly to Cd in the area, which demonstrated the same dispersion pattern as As and Pb. However, two hot spots of Cd around smelters were possibly enlarged by wastewaters, demonstrating another important source of Cd in Shuikouhsan. Geo-statistic interpolated mapping demonstrated that hotspots of Zn were only found proximal to the large smelters, suggesting that Zn primarily came from the chimneys of larger smelters. The major Cu hot-spots appeared closely to the tailing dam, indicating that weathering and leaching of tailings were the major sources of Cu contamination in Shuikoushan. Our findings indicated that airborne volatile particles and aerosols contributed the most to As, Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu contamination, while Cd and Cu may also derive from the discharge of wastewater from smelters and the leaching of tailings, respectively.     

浙江省某尾矿库周边农田土壤重金属污染特征及来源解析

尾矿库周边生态环境安全受到高度关注,土壤重金属污染是农田治理和保护的风险源之一。以地处浙东丘陵山地的浙江省某铜矿尾矿库周边农田为研究对象,测定了农田土壤中8种重金属元素Cd、Hg、As、Pb、Zn、Cu、Cr、Ni的浓度,运用地累积指数法、污染指数法、潜在生态风险指数法和生态风险预警指数法对农田土壤重金属污染程度以及生态风险进行评价,结合正定矩阵受体模型（PMF）,定量解析农田土壤重金属的来源。结果表明：1）研究区农田土壤中Cd、Hg、Cu、Zn浓度分别是土壤元素背景值的5.36、2.06、8.19、5.36倍,具有高度变异性;污染指数评价结果表明,Cu、Zn、Cd重度污染占比均达到10.5%,中度污染占比为5.26%,靠近尾矿库（<300 m）的15.8%的点位处于重度污染等级;地累积指数评价结果表明,Cd、Cu、Zn和Hg可能具有累积风险。2）潜在生态风险评价结果表明,Cd为很强生态风险,Hg为较强生态风险,Cu为中等生态风险,其余重金属均为轻微风险;综合潜在生态风险指数（RI）为308.91,综合潜在风险为较强风险。生态风险预警评估结果表明,Cu为重警,Cd和Zn为中警,Hg为轻警,As为预警,Pb、Cr和Ni为无警;综合生态风险预警指数（IER）为16.06,综合生态风险预警为重警。RI和IER空间分布基本一致,主要受Cd、Cu、Zn和Hg的影响。3）PMF解析出3个源,Cd、Zn、Cu主要受铜矿尾矿库尾砂和坝下渗水的混合源影响,贡献率分别为94.4%、94.3%和67.1%;Hg可能是以肥料、农药施用等农业活动源为主,贡献率为61.5%;Cr、Ni、Pb和As主要受成土母质和交通运输活动混合源的影响,贡献率分别为89.7%、82.7%、75.0%和68.3%。

     

广西近岸海域沉积物中重金属污染评价

根据 2 0 0 0年的监测资料 ,采用地积累指数法和潜在生态危害指数法对广西近岸海域重金属的污染状况进行评价。结果显示 ,广西近岸海域表层沉积物中Cu、Pb、Cd、Cr、As和Hg的地积累指数均小于 0 ,属清洁级 ;其潜在生态危害指数均小于 95 ,潜在生态危害轻微。但江河入海口附近海区重金属污染较严重 ,其潜在生态危害也较大 ;As为评价区域的主要污染因子 ,其中南流江口和大风江口表层沉积物中As分别为偏中等污染和轻度污染 ,南流江口As的潜在生态危害达中等危害水平     

Bioaccumulation and human health risk assessment of trace metals in the freshwater mussel Cristaria plicata in Dongting Lake, China

Trace metal contamination in water and bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms are human health risks of increasing concern. However, the bioaccumulation of trace metals in the organs of the mussel Cristaria plicata in Dongting Lake, China and the human health risks of mussel consumption are largely unknown. We investigated the concentrations of 15 trace metals and metalloids in surface water, sediments, and C. plicata organs (foot, gill, mantle, and visceral mass) and quantified the bioaccumulation and human health risk of these trace metals in specimens collected from Dongting Lake. The concentrations of most metals in surface water exceeded previously published background values. In contrast, the concentrations of most metals in sediments showed a decreasing trend. Overall, the metal concentrations in the gill and visceral masses of C. plicata were higher than those in the foot and mantle, and higher bioaccumulation capacities were observed for essential metals than for nonessential metals. The mean concentrations of the trace elements Zn, Pb, Cd, As, Cu, and Cr in C. plicata foot samples were lower than the threshold values established by international and Chinese organizations. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values of the essential metal Mn in C. plicata foot was higher than the recommended tolerable daily intake (TDI) values for juveniles. Only Mn for juveniles and As for both juveniles and adults may pose noncarcinogenic health risks through foot consumption. The hazard index (HI) values for adults and juveniles were higher than 1, suggesting significant risks of noncarcinogenic effects to humans by exposure to multiple metals.     

Perfluoroalkyl acids(PFAAs) in urban surface water of Shijiazhuang,China: Occurrence,distribution,sources and ecological risks

It is extremely important to analyze the contaminative behaviors of Perfluoroalkyl acids(PFAAs) due to their serious threats to urban environments which are closely related to humans. Current study aimed to explore the distribution, source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of PFAAs in surface water from Shijiazhuang, China. The concentrations of ΣPFAAs ranged from 19.5 to 125.9 ng/L in the investigation area. Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid(PFBS) and perfluoropentanoic acid(PFPeA) were t...     

A comparative study of the sorption of O-PAHs and PAHs onto soils to understand their transport in soils and groundwater

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their oxygenated derivates (O-PAHs) are identified in soils and groundwater of industrialized sites and contribute to the risk for Humans and the Environment. Nevertheless, data are scarce in literature concerning their retention and transfer in soils and no soil - water partition coefficients are available for these compounds. Sorption of two PAHs, fluorene and acenaphthene and two O-PAHs, 9H-fluorenone and dibenzofuran onto two soils with different organic carbon contents was evaluated and compared by determining their sorption isotherms. Effect of ionic strength and liquid to solid ratio, on fluorene and fluorenone sorption was also evaluated. Sorption equilibrium is achieved within less than 24 hr of mixing and linear sorption models best fit the isotherm data. Acenaphthene and dibenzofuran are similarly sorbed onto the soil. K_D of fluorene is higher than the one of fluorenone, showing a smaller affinity of fluorenone towards the solid phase. This means that O-PAH could form larger contamination plumes in groundwater than PAHs. Decreasing the L/S ratio from 100 to 50 and 30, increases the sorption of fluorenone onto the soil by 56% and 67% respectively, while the sorption of fluorene is slightly increased. Increasing the ionic strength of the aqueous phase also modifies the sorption of fluorenone, contrary to the sorption of fluorene which is slightly affected.     

Distribution and relationship between antimicrobial resistance genes and heavy metals in surface sediments of Taihu Lake, China

Heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and other wastes released into the environment can significantly influence environmental antibiotic resistance. We investigated the occurrence of 22 antimicrobial resistance genes(ARGs) and 10 heavy metal concentrations, and the relationship between ARGs and heavy metals in surface sediment from seven sites of Lake Taihu. The results showed significant correlations(p 0.05) between sediment ARG levels,especially for tetracycline and sulfonamides(e.g., tet(A), tet(D), tet(E), tet(O), sul1, sul2 and int-1) and specific heavy metals(Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Zn, among others) in the Lake. In the surface sediments, heavy metals showed an interaction with resistance genes, but the strength of interaction was diminished with increasing depth. For most of the heavy metals, the concentration of elements in the top sediments was higher than that in other depths.Tetracycline resistance genes(tet(A), tet(B), tet(D), tet(E) and tet(O), β-lactam resistance genes(SHV, TEM, CTX, OXA and OXY) and sulfonamide resistance genes(sulA, sul1, sul2, sul3 and int-1) were detected. They showed a trend which inferred a statistically significant increase followed by decreases in the relative abundance of these ARGs(normalized to 16 S rRNA genes) with increasing depth. This study revealed that tet(A), tet(O), TEM, OXY, int-1, sul1 and sul3 were widespread in surface sediments with high abundance, indicating that these genes deserve more attention in future work.