Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Greenhouse Soils of Gyeongnam Province

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination of soil might be a cause of serious concern due to the potential health impacts of consuming contaminated products. In this study, the total content of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, and Hg) in soils was analyzed, and the difference of heavy metal contents depending on crops, soil characteristics, and topography was compared in 169 greenhouse soils obtained from Gyeongnam Province. The concentrations of the heavy metals were 0.25 mg kg-1 (ranged 0.01~0.44) for Cd, 28.94 (0.53~72.63) mg kg-1 for Cr, 26.03 (0.5~166.13) mg kg-1 for Cu, 14.91 (1.27~33.22) mg kg-1 for Ni, 15.76 (0.43~57.1) mg kg-1 for Pb, 119.72 (6.33~239.39) mg kg-1 for Zn, 2.54 (0.01~23.57) mg kg-1 for As, and 0.049 (0.012~0.253) mg kg-1 for Hg in topsoils. The concentrations of Pb and As in topsoil were highest in green pepper and those of Cd, Cr, and Ni were highest in melon. In addition, the concentrations of Cr and Ni were highest in diluvial terrace compared with the other topographies. Higher concentrations of Cd, Cr, and Ni were found in silty clay loam and silt loam soils than sandy loam and loam soils. Correlation coefficient between heavy metals and soil organic matter of greenhouse top soils in Gyeongnam Province (n =169).