Spatial Distribution and Source Apportionment of Soil Heavy Metals in Pearl River Delta, China

Guangcai Yin, Hanghai Zhu, Zhiliang Chen, Chuanghong Su, Zechen He, Xinglin Chen, Jinrong Qiu and Tieyu Wang
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Guangcai Yin: Guangdong Industrial Contaminated Site Remediation Technology and Equipment, Engineering Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Hanghai Zhu: Guangdong Industrial Contaminated Site Remediation Technology and Equipment, Engineering Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Zhiliang Chen: Research Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Technology, South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, Guangzhou 510006, China
Chuanghong Su: College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
Zechen He: Guangdong Industrial Contaminated Site Remediation Technology and Equipment, Engineering Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Xinglin Chen: Guangdong Industrial Contaminated Site Remediation Technology and Equipment, Engineering Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Jinrong Qiu: Research Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Technology, South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, Guangzhou 510006, China
Tieyu Wang: College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: The contents of ten heavy metals (HMs) (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr, Hg, As, Co, and Mn) in 80 surface soil samples (0–20 cm) were investigated in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), Guangdong Province, China. The average contents of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr, Hg, As, Co, and Mn were 16.45, 40.20, 45.10, 0.09, 12.93, 47.93, 0.13, 14.44, 5.68, and 199.66 mg/kg, respectively. The soil quality was generally good, though slightly higher levels (1.17, 1.61, 1.67, and 1.62 times) of soil Pb, Cd, Hg, and As contents were observed compared with the soil background values. The spatial distribution of soil HM pollution in the PRD showed that 36% of sample sites were evaluated as sites without soil pollution, 32% as sites with slight pollution, 20% as sites with nearly moderate pollution, 9% as sites with moderate pollution, and 3% as site with serious pollution. Source apportionment analysis showed that the source of 64.33% of soil HMs in the PRD could be explained by natural and industrial sources, 24.80% by transportation, and 10.87% by agricultural activities.

Keywords: soil heavy metals; spatial distribution; source apportionment; Pearl River Delta (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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