Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Cucumber Fruits and Soil in a Greenhouse System with Long-Term Application of Organic Fertilizer and Chemical Fertilizer

Yuwei Zhang, Shan Tang, Yali Li, Ruonan Li, Shaowen Huang () and Hong Wang ()
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Yuwei Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Shan Tang: State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Yali Li: State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Ruonan Li: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050051, China
Shaowen Huang: State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Hong Wang: State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: Combining organic and chemical fertilizers is a sustainable strategy for vegetable production. However, there is limited research concerning the risks associated with heavy metals (HMs) in greenhouse systems with long-term location application. A three-year investigation, conducted from 2021 to 2023, explored a fifteen-year field experiment with combinations of chemical fertilizer (CH), corn straw (SW) and pig manure (PM). Five treatments were evaluated: excessive fertilization (high CH and PM), conventional fertilization (normal CH), organic–inorganic fertilization (3/4CN + 1/4PN, 2/4CN + 2/4PN and 2/4CN + 1/4PN + 1/4SN). This study evaluated the risks associated with heavy metals (HMs) by analyzing and quantifying their concentrations in soil and cucumber fruits, as well as by calculating the bioconcentration factors (BCFs), the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and both the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks. The results indicated that excessive fertilization (CF) increased the concentrations of Cu and Zn in fruits, as well as the Igeo values of Cu, Zn, and Cd, and the non-carcinogenic Cu risk, while decreasing the BCFs of Cu and Zn. Organic–inorganic fertilization also elevated the Igeo values of Cu and Zn. Redundancy analyses confirmed a positive correlation between the soil concentrations of Cu and Zn and higher levels of available phosphorus contents (48.4%), alongside a lower pH (4.9%). The concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Cd in both soil and cucumber fruits increased linearly with the duration of application and amount of input. Although the combined application of CH with PM or SW did not significantly elevate the non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic risks associated with most heavy metals, the carcinogenic risks of Cd and As emerged as potential risk factors after 15 years of organic–inorganic fertilization. Utilizing a combination of CH with PM and SW as a fertilizer management strategy can effectively address both the control of heavy metal inputs in the facility and the safety and quality of cucumbers.

Keywords: heavy metals; health risk assessment; greenhouse cucumber production; fertilizer management; pig manure; corn straw (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: 2024
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