Heavy Metal(oid)s in Soil–Tea System: Sources, Bioaccumulation, and Risks in Eastern Dabie Mountain

Minxuan Luo, Tian Liu, Jinyan Huang, Honggen Xu (), Ting Jiang, Xiang Xie and Yujing Yang ()
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Minxuan Luo: Changsha General Survey of Natural Resources Center, China Geological Survey, Changsha 410600, China
Tian Liu: Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
Jinyan Huang: Changsha General Survey of Natural Resources Center, China Geological Survey, Changsha 410600, China
Honggen Xu: Changsha General Survey of Natural Resources Center, China Geological Survey, Changsha 410600, China
Ting Jiang: Changsha General Survey of Natural Resources Center, China Geological Survey, Changsha 410600, China
Xiang Xie: Changsha General Survey of Natural Resources Center, China Geological Survey, Changsha 410600, China
Yujing Yang: Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: Yuexi County, a key tea-producing area in eastern Dabie Mountain, may face potential heavy metal(oid) (HM) contamination risks due to nearby mining and intensive agricultural activities. This study investigated seven HMs (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in paired soil–tea samples using multiple analytical approaches, including the geoaccumulation index ( I geo ), the potential ecological risk index (RI), bioconcentration factor (BCF), and positive matrix factorization (PMF) with Monte Carlo simulation for health risk assessment. Results showed that Zn (82.65 mg/kg) and Cd (0.15 mg/kg) were the most enriched HMs in soils with higher I geo values than other HMs. PMF analysis identified four major HM sources: mining and transportation (27.75%), agricultural activities (26.90%), natural soil parent material (26.17%), and industrial emissions (19.18%). Tea plants exhibited selective HM absorption, with Hg showing the highest bioaccumulation (BCF = 0.45), while As, Cr, and Pb had minimal uptake (BCF < 0.05). Although health risk assessments confirmed that both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from soil and tea consumption were within safe limits for adults and children, Cr and Ni required special attention due to their risk contributions. Overall, ecological and health risks in the region were found to be low. These findings provide important scientific support for pollution monitoring, risk management, and overcoming trade barriers in tea-growing regions with acidic soils. Future research should integrate HM speciation analysis with seasonal monitoring to further optimize tea plantation management strategies.

Keywords: heavy metal(oid)s; source apportionment; bioaccumulation; health risk assessment; food safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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