Spatial Distribution of Soil Heavy Metals and Associated Environmental Risks near Major Roads in Southern Tibet, China

Wanjiang She, Linghui Guo, Jiangbo Gao, Chi Zhang, Shaohong Wu, Yuanmei Jiao and Gaoru Zhu
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Wanjiang She: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650000, China
Linghui Guo: School of Surveying and Land Information Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454000, China
Jiangbo Gao: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
Chi Zhang: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
Shaohong Wu: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
Yuanmei Jiao: Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650000, China
Gaoru Zhu: Laboratory of Transport Pollution Control and Monitoring Technology, Transport Planning and Research Institute, Ministry of Transport, Beijing 100028, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-17

Abstract: Soil heavy metal pollution is becoming an increasingly serious environmental problem. This study was performed to investigate the contents of surface soil heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd) near six roads in the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau. Multivariate statistics, geoaccumulation index, potential ecological risk, and a human health assessment model were used to study the spatial pollution pattern and identify the main pollutants and regions of concern. The mean I g e o was ranked in the order Cd > Cu > Zn > Pb, with the average concentrations of Cd, Zn, and Cu exceeding their corresponding background levels 4.36-, 1.00-, and 1.8-fold, respectively. Soil Cd level was classified as posing a considerable potential risk near national highways and a high potential risk near non-national highways, whereas soil Cu, Zn, and Pb were associated with a low potential ecological risk for each class of roads. Furthermore, the non-carcinogenic risk due to soil heavy metals for each class of roads was within the acceptable risk level for three exposure pathways for both adults and children, but the carcinogenic risk attributable to soil Pb exceeded the threshold for children near highways G318, G562, and G219 and for adults near highway G318. Our work not only underscores the importance of assessing potential threats to ecological and human health due to soil heavy metal pollution on road surfaces but also provides quantitative guidance for remediation actions.

Keywords: soil heavy metal pollution; ecological risk evaluation; health risk evaluation; southern Tibet; road engineering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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