Sources of and Control Measures for PTE Pollution in Soil at the Urban Fringe in Weinan, China

Lei Han, Rui Chen, Zhao Liu, Shanshan Chang, Yonghua Zhao, Leshi Li, Risheng Li and Longfei Xia
Additional contact information
Lei Han: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, Xi’an 710054, China
Rui Chen: School of Earth Sciences and Resources, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Zhao Liu: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, Xi’an 710054, China
Shanshan Chang: School of Land Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Yonghua Zhao: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, Xi’an 710054, China
Leshi Li: School of Land Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Risheng Li: Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group, Xi’an 710075, China
Longfei Xia: Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group, Xi’an 710075, China

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: The environment of the urban fringe is complex and frangible. With the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization, the urban fringe has become the primary space for urban expansion, and the intense human activities create a high risk of potentially toxic element (PTE) pollution in the soil. In this study, 138 surface soil samples were collected from a region undergoing rapid urbanization and construction—Weinan, China. Concentrations of As, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Ni (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, ICP-MS) and Hg (Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry, AFS) were measured. The Kriging interpolation method was used to create a visualization of the spatial distribution characteristics and to analyze the pollution sources of PTEs in the soil. The pollution status of PTEs in the soil was evaluated using the national environmental quality standards for soils in different types of land use. The results show that the content range of As fluctuated a small amount and the coefficient of variation is small and mainly comes from natural soil formation. The content of Cr, Cu, and Ni around the automobile repair factory, the prefabrication factory, and the building material factory increased due to the deposition of wear particles in the soil. A total of 13.99% of the land in the study area had Hg pollution, which was mainly distributed on category 1 development land and farmland. Chemical plants were the main pollution sources. The study area should strictly control the industrial pollution emissions, regulate the agricultural production, adjust the land use planning, and reduce the impact of pollution on human beings. Furthermore, we make targeted remediation suggestions for each specific land use type. These results are of theoretical significance, will be of practical value for the control of PTEs in soil, and will provide ecological environmental protection in the urban fringe throughout the urbanization process.

Keywords: PTEs; soil; urban fringe; pollution sources; prevention; repair (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 (1)

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