Abstract
Samples of atmospheric depositions from five types of functional areas in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China, were collected, and the concentrations of six toxic heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn) were measured. Geographic information system, Pb isotope assessment, multivariate statistical analysis (principal component analysis, PCA), the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), potential ecological risk index (PERI), and a health risk assessment model were used to study the degree of pollution, identify sources of pollution, and assess the health risks to children and adults via three pathways (hand–mouth intake, skin contact, and respiration). The results show that the high traffic volume and exhaust gas emissions have led to high concentrations of heavy metals. The Igeo and PERI values of Cd (0.38–2.0 and 108–4531, respectively), indicating the present high pollution level and potential risk, respectively, varied the most. Pb isotope and PCA showed that Pb, Zn, and Cd from atmospheric deposition come from power plants and traffic—Cu is related to traffic, and Ni and Cr come mainly from soil particles (natural source). The health risk assessment showed that heavy metals in atmospheric depositions are at a safe level in the study area.
Highlights
Air pollution is a concern of scientists worldwide
To accurately trace and discriminate the sources of atmospheric deposition, samples from pollution sources, such as power plants, building sites, and traffic based on vehicles, were collected and tested for Pb isotopes
Samples of atmospheric deposition were collected from the five functional areas of Shijiazhuang City and comprehensively assessed for heavy metal spatial distribution, pollution sources from power plants, building sites, and traffic based on vehicles, pollution level, and health risks for representative studied areas
Summary
Air pollution is a concern of scientists worldwide. In China, in particular, where the economy is developing rapidly because of the continuous progress of urbanization and industrialization, ecological damage has led to many kinds of air pollution in some areas. The main human activities and industries causing atmospheric pollution include metal smelting, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, the production and use of chemicals, and the accumulation and disposal of industrial waste [6,7,8,9,10]. Sources of pollution, such as industrial enterprises and the air around them, are mainly reflected in the emission of air pollutants, sedimentation of particles on the ground, and unreasonable accumulation of industrial solid waste [1,11,12,13,14].
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