Geospatial Analysis, Source Apportionment, and Ecological–Health Risks Assessment of Topsoil Heavy Metal(loid)s in a Typical Agricultural Area

Denghui Wei, Shiming Yang, Haidong Li, Ming Luo, Ying Wang, Yangshuang Wang, Yunhui Zhang and Bin Wang ()
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Denghui Wei: Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
Shiming Yang: Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
Haidong Li: Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
Ming Luo: Sichuan Institute of Comprehensive Geological Survey, Chengdu 610081, China
Ying Wang: Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
Yangshuang Wang: Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
Yunhui Zhang: Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
Bin Wang: Command Center of Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100055, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: Soil environmental protection has become a pressing issue for sustainable development. This study collected 153 topsoil samples from a typical agricultural area to evaluate the contamination characteristics of heavy metal(loid)s (HMs), identify their potential sources, and assess the associated ecological and human health risks. The results showed that the mean concentration of HMs was in the order of Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cu > As > Cd > Hg; all HMs were below their background levels, except Cd. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and improved Nemerow index (INI) revealed that the overall pollution level was considered as no or slight contamination, while HMs posed low ecological risk according to the ecological hazard factor (E i ) and potential ecological risk index (PERI). In addition, three main sources were identified through the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model: natural source (48.2%; contributed As, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn), coal burning and waste disposal (24%; contributed Hg and Cd), and agricultural activities (27.8%; contributed Cr). The human health risk (HHR) assessment model and Monte Carlo simulation were applied to evaluate human health risks, and the results suggested that children faced higher health risks than adults, with 45.83% of samples exceeding the non-carcinogenic acceptable limit. As and Cr were the main contributors to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, respectively. The findings contributed to the local environmental management and sustainable development of agriculture.

Keywords: agricultural area; heavy metal(loid)s; contaminant indices; source apportionment; ecological and health risks; Monte Carlo simulation (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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