Abstract
Due to the rapid urbanization of the Yangtze River Delta in China, large numbers of formerly rural residents have migrated to the cities. To adjust the structure of rural land use, the government has performed extensive land consolidation. Previous studies indicated that the land consolidation has affected farmland quality to some extent. However, the effect of the land consolidation on farmland heavy metal concentrations has rarely been reported. In this study, the Jintan District was used as an example, and 40 sampling sites of various consolidation types in 4 representative areas of rural land consolidation were selected. Soil samples were collected from these sites, and the heavy metal concentrations were analyzed. We used multivariate methods of correlation analysis and principal component analysis to study the conditions and sources of the heavy metal contamination in the soil. The results indicate that the mean concentrations of Cd, Hg, Ni, Cu, and Zn in the soil all exceeded the background values. The mean concentration of Cd was 0.409 mg/kg, and the enrichment factor (EF) was 4.54, making Cd the most prevalent heavy metal soil contaminant in the study area. The enrichment of soil heavy metals varied among the various representative areas. Suburban areas surrounding the central cities were mainly enriched in Hg, with an EF of 6.20. The comprehensive development zone displayed enrichment in Cd, with an EF of 7.79. The heavy metal concentrations in the soil also differed depending on the type of land consolidation. The reclaimed soil of rural settlements contained high levels of Cd and Zn, with EFs of 7.25 and 2.52, respectively, which were related to the land use before the land consolidation. The soil heavy metals of the study area were affected by both human activity and natural background contamination.
Highlights
The Yangtze River Delta is currently the most rapidly developing region in China and has the largest GDP and greatest development potential (Chen 2007)
The Jintan District is located in southern Jiangsu Province, northwest of the Yangtze River Delta, at 31o33’42”31o53’22” N, 119o17’45”-119o44’59”E
Zeng et al Soil heavy metal contamination in rural land consolidation areas in the Yangtze river delta, China consolidation projects of rural settlement reclamation and farmland consolidation are comprehensively promoted in this area
Summary
The Yangtze River Delta is currently the most rapidly developing region in China and has the largest GDP and greatest development potential (Chen 2007). With the rapid growth of the regional economy, urbanization in the Yangtze River Delta is entering the middle and late stages of development (Gu et al 2011; Wu et al 2014). To promote harmonic development of the rural economy and society and to achieve a balance between farmland occupation and compensation, the government promotes numerous land consolidation projects (Tang et al 2015), including a series of projects and measures for farmland consolidation, farmland merging, ditch and road construction, village relocation, and development and reclamation (Zhang et al 2014; Zheng et al 2016). Several studies of the soil properties in mining reclamation zones have revealed variations in the soil properties in these zones and their influencing factors
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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 callMore From: Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
