As-Hg Compound Pollution: Rice Growth, Yield, and Environmental Safety Limits

Mengzhuo Cao, Shanying He, Ejazul Islam, Chunlai Hong, Weiping Wang, Yanlai Yao, Xiaoyang Chen and Fengxiang Zhu
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Mengzhuo Cao: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
Shanying He: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
Ejazul Islam: National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Chunlai Hong: Institute of Environmental Resources, Soil and Fertilizer, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Weiping Wang: Institute of Environmental Resources, Soil and Fertilizer, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Yanlai Yao: Institute of Environmental Resources, Soil and Fertilizer, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Xiaoyang Chen: Institute of Environmental Resources, Soil and Fertilizer, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Fengxiang Zhu: Institute of Environmental Resources, Soil and Fertilizer, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: With rapid economic and industrial development, the potentially toxic element (PTE) pollution of farmlands in China has become increasingly serious. Based on the Hakanson potential ecological risk index (RI) and national food pollutant limit standards (GB 2762-2017), the effects of exogenous potentially toxic elements (PTEs), i.e., arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg), on rice growth were studied. Common varieties of hybrid (YY 538, CY 84) and conventional (XS 134, JH 218) rice were grown in pots having representative paddy soil from Zhejiang Province, China. The results showed that As and Hg in soil significantly inhibited growth; however, the plant height of hybrid rice was less affected. Further, there were significant correlations between concentrations of PTEs in soil and rice grains; however, hybrid rice had a stronger ability to absorb and accumulate PTEs. The comprehensive potential ecological RI of soil PTEs was 39.4–89.9, which is below the level of ‘minor ecological hazard’, and the contribution rate of Hg was 79.9%–84.2%; as such, Hg posed the greatest potential ecological risk in the study area. The ecological risk limits of As and Hg in the safe production of different rice varieties decreased in the order XS 134 > JH 218 > YY 538 > CY 84. The ecological risk limits of As and Hg for conventional rice were higher, and the risk limits of As and Hg for hybrid rice were lower, than the limit of the soil environmental quality assessment index in the national “Soil quality control criteria for soil pollution in agricultural land (for trial implementation) (Trial)” (GB15618-2018). The health risk limit of soil As in the typical paddy soil of China decreased in the order XS 134 > JH 218 > CY 84 > YY 538. The health risk limit of Hg decreased in the order XS 134 > JH 218 > YY 538 > CY 84. The health risk limit of As was lower, whereas the risk limit of Hg was higher, than the limit of the soil environmental quality evaluation index in the national “Soil quality control criteria for soil pollution in agricultural land (for trial implementation) (Trial)”(GB15618-2018).

Keywords: soil; rice species; potentially toxic elements; accumulation properties; safety limits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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