Heavy Metals in Soil and Crops of an Intensively Farmed Area: A Case Study in Yucheng City, Shandong Province, China

Lin Jia, Wuyi Wang, Yonghua Li and Linsheng Yang
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Lin Jia: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China
Wuyi Wang: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China
Yonghua Li: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China
Linsheng Yang: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China

IJERPH, 2010, vol. 7, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: Yucheng City is located in northwestern Shandong Province, China, and is situated on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, the largest alluvial plain in China. In this study, 86 surface soil samples were collected in Yucheng City and analyzed for cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic matter (SOM), pH, available phosphorus (avail. P), phosphorus (P), aluminum (Al), and iron (Fe). These soils were also analyzed for ‘total’ chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), together with 92 wheat samples and 37 corn samples. There was no obvious heavy metal contamination in the soil and irrigation water. But the long-term accumulation of heavy metals in soil has lead to an increase of Ni, As, Hg and Pb concentrations in some of wheat and corn samples and Cd in wheat samples. Because of the numerous sources of soil heavy metals and the lower level of heavy metal in irrigation water, there is no significant relation between soil heavy metal concentrations and irrigation water concentrations. Cr, Ni were mainly from the indigenous clay minerals according to multivariate analysis. Little contribution to soil heavy metal contents from agricultural fertilizer use was found and the local anomalies of As, Cd, Hg, Pb in wheat and corn grain are attributed to the interactive effects of irrigation and fertilizer used. Aerial Hg, however may also be the source of Hg for soil, wheat and corn.

Keywords: heavy metals; multivariate statistics; agricultural activities; Yucheng Cty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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