Heavy Metal Pollution and Risk Assessment of Surface Dust in the Arid NW China

Xiuyun Yang, Mamattursun Eziz (), Adila Hayrat, Xiaofei Ma, Wei Yan, Kaixuan Qian, Jiaxin Li, Yuan Liu and Yifan Wang
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Xiuyun Yang: College of Geographical Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China
Mamattursun Eziz: College of Geographical Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China
Adila Hayrat: College of Geographical Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China
Xiaofei Ma: China State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Wei Yan: School of Geographic Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
Kaixuan Qian: China State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Jiaxin Li: China State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Yuan Liu: Key Laboratory of Smart City and Environment Modelling of Higher Education Institute, College of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Yifan Wang: School of Geographic Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-21

Abstract: High concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) in urban surface dust (USD) can be extremely hazardous to urban ecology and human health. Oasis cities are located at the edge of deserts and are more exposed to salt/sandstorms, and they face a significantly higher accumulation of USD than wet or semi-humid areas. However, systematic studies on the pollution and risk assessment of HMs in USD in oasis cities have rarely been conducted. This study systematically analyzed the enrichment status, spatial distribution, pollution levels, health risks, and sources of HMs in USD in a typical oasis city (Changji city). The results showed that the average concentrations of Pb, Ni, As, Cd, Hg, and Cu in the USD of Changji city were 46.83, 26.35, 9.92, 0.21, 0.047, and 59.33 mg/kg, respectively, and the results of the pollution index evaluation showed moderate Pb, Hg, and Cu pollution, mild Cd pollution, and no Ni or As pollution. The spatial distribution of HM concentrations in the USD was substantially heterogeneous. High values of Pb, Hg, and Cu concentrations were mainly observed in areas with relatively intensive transportation and commercial activities, and high values of Cd and Ni were observed in industrial areas. The health risk assessment showed that HMs do not pose non-carcinogenic risks to humans at their current level, but they pose a carcinogenic risk to children, with As contributing the largest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks. The source identification of HMs showed that the main pollution of HMs were traffic sources for Pb and Cu, industrial sources for Ni and Cd, natural sources for As, and coal-fired sources for Hg. According to the results of the quantitative analysis with the positive matrix factorization, the contribution of pollution sources followed this order: industrial sources (31.08%) > traffic sources (26.80%) > coal-fired sources (23.31%) > natural sources (18.81%).

Keywords: urban surface dust; heavy metals; positive matrix factorization; health risks; oasis city (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 (2)

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