Risk Assessments of Plant Leaf and Soil Mercury Pollution in Different Functional Areas of Changchun City

Abstract

Mercury is a global pollutant that has attracted widespread attention due to its persistence, concealment, and ease of migration. As the main setting for human production and life, urban ecosystems play significant roles in the global mercury cycle. Urban vegetation also plays an important role in regional mercury cycles. In this study, several common tree species in the green vegetation of Changchun were used as research objects to examine the mercury pollution characteristics of leaf litter and the surrounding soil. In this investigation, 100 sampling sites were set up in Changchun City to collect leaf litter and the surrounding topsoil. An RA-915+ Hg analyzer was used to determine the total mercury concentration levels. The results showed that content levels of mercury in plants ranged between 0.0133 and 0.1945 mg/kg, and different species displayed varying levels of mercury accumulation. For example, the content of mercury in Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim. was found to be 0.0755 mg/kg higher than that in the other examined subjects. It was also determined that the plant mercury concentration levels were the highest in the older industrial zones, while the lowest mercury levels were found in the new economic development zones. Furthermore, the plant mercury levels of the roadside areas were higher due to vehicle pollution discharge. Regarding the mercury pollution levels of the surface-layer soil, the soil of old industrial zones’ surface layers had higher levels of mercury pollution than the other tested sites. However, no notable connection was observed between the mercury concentration levels of the vegetation and those of the soil. This study’s results revealed that the mercury pollution of plants in Changchun City is not severe. The mercury levels in the industrial zones were graded as moderate, and those in the other regions were graded as low.