Assessment of Metalloid and Metal Contamination in Soils from Hainan, China

Xiangjun Liao, Chao Zhang, Guangyi Sun, Zhonggen Li, Lihai Shang, Yangrong Fu, Yusheng He and Yi Yang
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Xiangjun Liao: Geological Bureau of Hainan Province, Haikou 570206, China
Chao Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
Guangyi Sun: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
Zhonggen Li: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
Lihai Shang: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
Yangrong Fu: Hainan Institute of Geological Survey, Haikou 570206, China
Yusheng He: Hainan Institute of Geological Survey, Haikou 570206, China
Yi Yang: Hainan Institute of Geological Survey, Haikou 570206, China

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: The characterization of the concentrations and sources of metals and metalloids in soils is necessary to establish quality standards on a regional level and to assess the potential threat of metals to food safety and human health. A total of 8713 soil samples throughout Hainan Island, China were collected at a density of one sample per 4 km 2 , and concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn were analyzed. The geometric mean values of the elements were 2.17, 0.60, 26.5, 9.43, 0.033, 8.74, 22.2, 0.26, and 39.6 mg·· kg −1 for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn, respectively, significantly lower than the background values of Chinese soils with the exception of Se. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that multiple anthropogenic sources regulated the elemental compositions of the Hainan environment. Coal combustion and mining are important anthropogenic sources of metals for Hainan. The geochemical maps of elements in Hainan soils were produced using the Geographic Information System (GIS) method, and several hot-spot areas were identified. The ecological impact of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Zn pollution to the soils was extremely “low”.

Keywords: metals; arsenic; soils; Hainan; source (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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