Abstract
Concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc in agricultural soils at 32 sites in the Lihe River Watershed of the Taihu region, East China, and their potential ecological risks and possible sources were investigated. Enrichment factor analysis demonstrated enrichment in the order Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cr. The potential ecological risk index and risk assessment code analyses indicated that, of the metals studied, Cd posed the most significant ecological risk in the study area. Statistical analyses, GIS mapping, and enrichment factor analysis suggested that Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn were derived mainly from anthropogenic sources, including agricultural, industrial, and vehicular emissions, while Cr and Ni were mainly from natural sources. Positive matrix factorization revealed that Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were sourced from industrial and vehicular emissions (73.7%, 21.3%, 71.4%, 20.3%, 75.0%, and 62.2%, respectively), the agricultural sector (26.3%, 36.3%, 6.8%, 38.9%, 15.7%, and 6.9%, respectively), and parent materials (0%, 42.4%, 21.8%, 40.8%, 9.2%, and 30.9%, respectively). It was recommended that strategies be implemented to reduce industrial point-source pollution.
Highlights
Rapid urbanization and industrialization over recent decades have resulted in heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils, and heavy metal pollution of agricultural soil has become a worldwide environmental concern [1,2,3,4,5]
The results provide insights into the management of heavy metal pollution in the Lihe River Watershed, and this study serves as a reference for other regions both in China and worldwide
According to soil fertility classification recommended by the second national soil census, if the organic matter of a soil is less than 1%, it is organic matter deficient soil
Summary
Rapid urbanization and industrialization over recent decades have resulted in heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils, and heavy metal pollution of agricultural soil has become a worldwide environmental concern [1,2,3,4,5]. Heavy metal accumulation in soils can significantly affect human health through their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and transfer through food chains; control of pollution sources is required to minimize their impact [6]. The effective assessment of ecological risks and source apportionment is a crucial step in this regard. Numerous analytical techniques have been applied in assessing ecological risks posed by heavy metals in agricultural soils, based on their concentration, distribution, and speciation [7,8,9]. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 2094; doi:10.3390/ijerph16122094 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph. In comparisons with2019, other (Table 4) Int. J. REVIEW the mean concentration of Cd in the Lihe 8River of 20
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
