Characteristics and risk assessment of arsenic contamination in a lead and zinc plant area in Yunnan Province

Abstract

Taking a lead and zinc plant plot in Yunnan as the research object, the land use status and planting types of the region were investigated, the original enterprise distribution area and crop growing area of the plot were defined, and 67 surface soil samples and 14 columnar soil samples were systematically arranged in the plot for monitoring. Combined with the monitoring results and analysis, it is concluded that there is no definite basis that the high arsenic content in soil in the region is caused by the enterprise production, and the high arsenic content in the region may be caused by the background value. Based on the monitoring and investigation results, the risk assessment of the area was carried out. The results showed that the non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic hazard index of arsenic exceeded the prescribed acceptable level when the area was developed as the second type of construction land, and soil remediation should be carried out. At the same time, the collaborative distribution monitoring of regional crops showed that the arsenic content of crops was low, which met the requirements of food standards, possibly because the cultivated crops did not have strong adsorption and enrichment effects on the arsenic occurrence form in the regional soil.