Hazardous Heavy Metals Accumulation and Health Risk Assessment of Different Vegetable Species in Contaminated Soils from a Typical Mining City, Central China

Zhen Wang, Jianguo Bao, Tong Wang, Haseeb Tufail Moryani, Wei Kang, Jin Zheng, Changlin Zhan and Wensheng Xiao
Additional contact information
Zhen Wang: School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Jianguo Bao: School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Tong Wang: School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Haseeb Tufail Moryani: School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Wei Kang: Hubei Key Laboratory of Mine Environment Pollution Control and Remediation, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi 435003, China
Jin Zheng: Hubei Key Laboratory of Mine Environment Pollution Control and Remediation, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi 435003, China
Changlin Zhan: Hubei Key Laboratory of Mine Environment Pollution Control and Remediation, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi 435003, China
Wensheng Xiao: Hubei Key Laboratory of Mine Environment Pollution Control and Remediation, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi 435003, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Heavy metal poisoning has caused serious and widespread human tragedies via the food chain. To alleviate heavy metal pollution, particular attention should be paid to low accumulating vegetables and crops. In this study, the concentrations of five hazardous heavy metals (HMs), including copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) were determined from soils, vegetables, and crops near four typical mining and smelting zones. Nemerow’s synthetical pollution index (P n ), Potential ecological risk index (RI), and Geo-accumulation index (I geo ) were used to characterize the pollution degrees. The results showed that soils near mining and metal smelting zones were heavily polluted by Cu, Cd, As, and Pb. The total excessive rate followed a decreasing order of Cd (80.00%) > Cu (61.11%) > As (45.56%) > Pb (32.22%) > Cr (0.00%). Moreover, sources identification indicated that Cu, Pb, Cd, and As may originate from anthropogenic activities, while Cr may originate from parent materials. The exceeding rates of Cu, Cr, Pb, Cd, and As were 6.7%, 6.7%, 66.7%, 80.0%, and 26.7% among the vegetable and crop species, respectively. Particularly, vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, white radishes, and asparagus, revealed low accumulation characteristics. In addition, the hazard index (HI) for vegetables and crops of four zones was greater than 1, revealing a higher risk to the health of local children near the mine and smelter. However, the solanaceous fruit has a low-risk index (HI), indicating that it is a potentially safe vegetable type.

Keywords: heavy metals; vegetables and crops; mining and smelting areas; health risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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