Level, Source, and Spatial Distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements in Agricultural Soil of Typical Mining Areas in Xiangjiang River Basin, Hunan Province

Yang Yu, Haijiang Luo, Lihuan He, Wenqing Liu, Renji Xu, Linlin Zhang, Guihua Dong, Yeyao Wang, Guoping Wu and Fusheng Wei
Additional contact information
Yang Yu: Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230026, China
Haijiang Luo: State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China
Lihuan He: State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China
Wenqing Liu: Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230026, China
Renji Xu: State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China
Linlin Zhang: State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China
Guihua Dong: State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China
Yeyao Wang: State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China
Guoping Wu: State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China
Fusheng Wei: State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing 100012, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: The concentrations, chemical availability, distribution, and sources of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil of Xiangjiang Basin in Hunan Province, China were investigated at 85 sites. The highest mean concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb were observed in Hengyang, whereas those for Mn, Co, and Hg were observed in Changde. The pollution index values followed the order: Cd > Hg > Cu > Zn > As > Pb; the mean geo-accumulation index values were in the order: Cd > Hg > Pb > Cu > Zn > As > Co > Mn. Cd was associated with moderate contaminated level, Hg and Pb were associated with moderate contaminated to uncontaminated level, and Cu, Zn, As, Co, and Mn were associated with uncontaminated level of pollution. Furthermore, 64.5% of Cd was water-soluble and exhibited exchangeable fractions; its chemical availability posed a risk to the ecosystem. Spatial analysis, principal component analysis, and a positive matrix factorization model were used to assess the PTE sources. Four principal components contributed to 88.8% of the 8 PTEs concentrations. Mining, smelting, industrial, and agricultural activities, alongside sewage irrigation, the use of agrochemicals, and vehicular emissions are the possible anthropogenic sources that pollute agricultural products and threaten human health in the Xiangjiang Basin.

Keywords: soil pollution; source identification; multivariate analysis; risk evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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