Heavy Metal Source Apportionment, Environmental Capacity, and Health Risk Assessment in Agricultural Soils of a Rice-Growing Watershed in Eastern China

Linsong Yu (), Yanling Chu, Zhaoyu Zhou, Jingyi Zhang, Shiyong Li, Huayong Li, Zhigao Zhang, Fugui Zhang and Zeming Shi ()
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Linsong Yu: School of Resources Environment and Tourism, Anyang Normal University, Anyang 455000, China
Yanling Chu: School of Business, Anyang Normal University, Anyang 455000, China
Zhaoyu Zhou: College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Jingyi Zhang: School of Resources Environment and Tourism, Anyang Normal University, Anyang 455000, China
Shiyong Li: College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130061, China
Huayong Li: School of Resources Environment and Tourism, Anyang Normal University, Anyang 455000, China
Zhigao Zhang: School of Resources Environment and Tourism, Anyang Normal University, Anyang 455000, China
Fugui Zhang: Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang 065000, China
Zeming Shi: College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-27

Abstract: This study collected 427 cultivated topsoil samples from the Mohe watershed in Tangcheng County, eastern China. By integrating positive matrix factorization (PMF) for quantitative source apportionment with self-organizing maps (SOMs) for spatial clustering, we effectively identified pollution factors and conducted a systematic evaluation of pollution sources, environmental capacity, and health risks. The results show that: (1) the soils were slightly acidic and enriched in Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Pb, with Cd and Hg showing high spatial variability linked to anthropogenic inputs. (2) Quantitative source apportionment indicated that 25.9% of heavy metals (As, Cr, Ni, Pb) originated mainly from natural pedogenic sources, while agricultural activities contributed 20.8% (Cd) and 42.8% (Cu, Zn). Hg (10.5%) enrichment was attributed to residential coal combustion and wind patterns, demonstrating source-specific anthropogenic influences. (3) The environmental capacity assessment indicated a moderate capacity level across the study area. However, the improved index ( PI min ) revealed overload phenomena at localized sites, and these overloaded areas exhibited high spatial consistency with the distributions of agricultural and mixed sources. (4) Health risk evaluation indicated that hand-to-mouth ingestion was the dominant exposure pathway, with children facing significantly higher risks than adults. Non-carcinogenic risks remained within safe limits, but carcinogenic risks were non-negligible, with 86.7% of sites exceeding the threshold for children, especially in cultivated lands and riverbank villages. Findings underscore the importance of addressing synergistic effects of natural and agricultural sources in watershed management and prioritizing children’s health protection.

Keywords: heavy metals; source apportionment; environmental capacity; health risk assessment; small watershed (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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