Spatial Distribution, Environmental Risk and Safe Utilization Zoning of Soil Heavy Metals in Farmland, Subtropical China

Weiwei Guo, Tao Wu, Guojun Jiang, Lijie Pu, Jianzhen Zhang, Fei Xu, Hongmei Yu and Xuefeng Xie
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Weiwei Guo: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Tao Wu: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Guojun Jiang: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Lijie Pu: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Jianzhen Zhang: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Fei Xu: Institute of Land and Urban-Rural Development, Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Hongmei Yu: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Xuefeng Xie: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-13

Abstract: Heavy metal (HM) accumulation in farmland soil can be transferred to the human body through the food chain, posing a serious threat to human health. Exploring the environmental risk and safe utilization zoning of soil HMs in farmland can provide the basis for the formulation of effective control strategies. Soil samples from typical subtropical farmland were collected in Jinhua City and analyzed for HMs (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn). The objective of this study was to explore the spatial distribution and environmental risk of soil HMs, and then divide the safe utilization area of soil HMs of farmland in Jinhua City. The results showed that the mean concentrations of soil HMs were, in descending order: Zn (76.05 mg kg −1 ) > Cr (36.73 mg kg −1 ) > Pb (32.48 mg kg −1 ) > Cu (18.60 mg kg −1 ) > Ni (11.95 mg kg −1 ) > As (6.37 mg kg −1 ) > Cd (0.18 mg kg −1 ) > Hg (0.11 mg kg −1 ), and all determined soil HMs did not exceed the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land of China. The fitted semi-variogram showed that the spatial autocorrelation of Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn was weak, with island-shaped distribution, while As, Cr, Cu, and Ni had medium spatial autocorrelation, with strip-shaped and island-shaped distribution. The hot spot analysis and environmental risk probability showed that the environmental risks of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cu were relatively high, whereas those of Cr, Hg, and Ni were relatively low. Safe utilization zones and basic safe utilization zones accounted for 89.35% and 8.58% of the total farmland area in Jinhua, respectively, and only a small part of the farmland soil was at risk of use.

Keywords: soil heavy metals; spatial variability; environmental risks; safe utilization zoning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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