Average Concentrations Of Heavy Metals Research Articles

Assessment of microbial communities and heavy metals in urban soils of Patna, Bihar (India)

This study was aimed to assess soil nutrient status, heavy metal content, and their impact on phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) as well as to determine relationship between PSB and coliform in soils of urban area of Patna town during monsoon and winter. The eight sampling areas are included for study namely Bazar Samiti (S1), Moin-ul-Haq Stadium (S2), Agamkuan (S3), Kumhrar (S4), Beur Jail (S5), Phulwari Sharif (S6), BIT Campus (S7), and Danapur (S8). Nutrients, such as carbon, phosphorus, and potassium, varied with seasons and sites. The average concentration of heavy metals for monsoon followed the order Mn > Zn > Co > Pb > Cu > Ni > Hg, while for winter the order was Mn > Zn > Pb > Co > Cu > Ni > Hg, whereas Cd was below detection limit (0.1 ppm) in all sites. To evaluate the degree of pollution in soils of Patna region contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and pollution load index (PLI) were calculated. An elevated concentration of Mn and Zn was reported on most of the sites; however, PLI showed that soils have become polluted with heavy metals. In addition, enumeration of bacterial cells revealed that PSB grew efficiently in winter when pH (6 to 6.8) was low, which might be due to production of organic acids, and coliform count was moderate to low. The negative correlation between PSB and coliform in winter suggests that both the species are competitor of each other.

Potential Health Risk Assessment of Different Heavy Metals in Wheat Products.

In the present work, health risk of heavy metals such as As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in Iranian urban and rural samples including wheat, wheat flour, bread, pasta and sweets were assessed. The real amount of heavy metals in target samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Wet ashing and hydride generation techniques were used in sample preparation step. Results demonstrated that heavy metal contaminations in cereal samples were significant. The average concentrations of heavy metals in wheat products were between 0.01 mg kg−1 to 46 mg kg−1. Finally, the health risk assessment results showed that heavy metal contents in rural samples were higher than those in urban samples. The risk of Cu and Zn was significant in two areas and risk of Cr and Cd was not significant.

Determination of Some Selected Heavy Metals in Water, Oreochromis niloticus and Labeobarbus intermedius Samples from Abaya and Chamo Lakes

The fish organs and water was collected from three sampling sites of Lakes Chamo and Abaya. A procedure consuming 12 mL mixture of HNO 3 -H 2 O 2 for gill, kidney, liver and 1:2.5 mL mixture of HNO 3 -HCl for water samples for digestion of was developed. Concentrations of six metals in water and their accumulation in the edible tissue of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Barbus (Labeobarbus intermedius) fish species were determined using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The results revealed that the average heavy metal concentrations in water samples were; Zn 0.017, Cu 0.077, Fe 7.50, Cr 0.033, Cd 0.264 and Pb 1.731 mg/L respectivelty. The highest concentrations of iron (Fe) and lead (Pb) were observed at Chamo Park and Sile sites, respectively. The average contents of heavy metals in fish samples were; Zn 0.062, Cu 0.047, Fe 2.270, Cr 0.041, Cd 0.045 and Pb1.78 mg/Kg in both fish species. The highest accumulations of iron (Fe) and lead (Pb) concentration were observed in liver and gill of Tilapia fish from Chamo Lake. There was no significant difference between the two lakes in accumulating trace metals. Keywords : Fish variety, Heavy metals, Lakes, ANOVA DOI : 10.7176/FSQM/83-05

Source analysis and health risk of heavy metals in the different seasons from Taizihe River, China

Twenty five water samples were collected along the Taizihe River, the concentration and health risks of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr and Cd were detected and evaluated, and the pollution sources was analyzed through principal components analyses. The results indicated that the order of average concentration of heavy metals was follows: Pb > Cr > Cu > Zn and Cd. Among that, the concentrations of Zn, Cu and Cr were at the permissible levels, but Pb and Cd exceeded grade V standard at some sites. The concentrations of Zn and Cu in the wet season were significant higher than that in the dry season (p < 0.05), but the average concentrations of Pb, Cr and Cd were not significantly different in the two seasons (p > 0.05). The annual average risks of human health caused by Cd and Cr were 10−3/a and 10−4/a, respectively, which were higher than the recommended maximum acceptable risk level. The human health risk values of Zn, Pb and Cu were all concentrated at 10−8/a or 10−9/a levels, which did not exceed the recommended standard. On the whole, Cd and Cr were the main health risk pollutants of Taizihe River. Pollution sources of Pb was different from other heavy metals in wet and dry season, Cd and Cr were similar in the wet and dry season. The mainly pollution source of heavy metals was industry, especially mining, metal smelting and electroplating industry.

Study of heavy metal pollution, ecological risk and source apportionment in the surface water and sediments of the Jiangsu coastal region, China: A case study of the Sheyang Estuary

The concentrations of seven heavy metals in the surface water and sediments from the Sheyang Estuary were investigated to determine their spatial distribution, source apportionment and the potential ecological risks. The relative concentrations of heavy metals in the sediments were ranked as follows: Zn > Cr > Cu > Pb > As > Cd > Hg. The majority of the average concentrations of heavy metals in the sediment were higher than their background values, except for Cr and Hg, whereas the surface water heavy metals concentrations were lower. All of the elements apart from Cd indicated that there was no contamination and a low degree of pollution overall. Moreover, the heavy metal levels generally indicated low ecological risks, except for Cd. The results showed that Cu, Pb, Cr and Cd are influenced significantly by anthropogenic activities. Therefore, it is necessary to control heavy metal contamination caused by anthropogenic activities in the study area.

Influence of coastal groundwater salinization on the distribution and risks of heavy metals

Coastal groundwater quality significantly affects the regional sustainable development, due to the water resource shortage in coastal zone. Current studies on coastal groundwater have mainly focused on saline water intrusion and over-extraction. Information on the heavy metal pollution of coastal groundwater with salinization trend is limited. This study investigated heavy metals in groundwater from a typical coastal region with intensive anthropogenic activities and saline water intrusion. The southwestern coastal plains of the study area showed significant groundwater salinization trend. Heavy metals in the coastal groundwater mainly originated from anthropogenic activities and groundwater salinization according to principal component analysis. Relative high concentrations of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni occurred in the southwestern coast of the study area with high TDS level, indicating that the concentrations of these heavy metals in shallow aquifer of the study area might be influenced by the groundwater salinization. Average concentrations of heavy metals in groundwater of the study area ranged from 0.03 (Cd) to 686.92 (Fe) μg/L. Fe was the dominant heavy metal in groundwater with the maximal concentration of 2333.76 μg/L and exceeding-standard rate reaching 98.23%. Approximately 13.27% of sampling sites showed moderate or higher heavy metal pollution of groundwater based on heavy metal pollution index. Heavy metals in groundwater exerted low ecological risks. Elements Fe, Ni, and As were the main contributors for ecological risks. Cancer risks of heavy metals for both adults and children were high at all sampling sites. Non-cancer risks for adults and children were unacceptable at 4.42% and 17.70% of sampling sites, respectively. The salinization of the coastal groundwater could also lead to the increase in the ecological and health risks of heavy metals in coastal groundwater. These findings provide initial and important information on heavy metals pollution in coastal aquifer with saline water intrusion.

Uptake effects of toxic heavy metals from growth soils into jujube and persimmon of China.

Compared with other agricultural plants, information about uptake effects of toxic heavy metals from growth soils into persimmon and jujube are scarce. In this study, the single and comprehensive uptake effects of five toxic heavy metals (Pb, As, Cd, Cr, and Hg) between the two fruits and their growth soils were investigated. The results showed that the average concentrations of heavy metals in the two fruits were found to be 30 (Pb), 6.6 (As), 2.3 (Cd), 38 (Cr), and 0.33 (Hg) μg/kg, respectively. The average concentrations of heavy metals in their growth soils were 26.31 (Pb), 9.63 (As), 0.12 (Cd), 57.6 (Cr), and 0.049 (Hg) mg/kg, respectively. An uptake effect was observed for the two fruits. The values of Nemerow pollution index (NPI) in the two fruits and their growth soils were 0.10 and 0.55, respectively. The average bioconcentration factor (BCF) values of Pb, As, Cd, Cr, and Hg in the two fruits were 0.0012, 0.00075, 0.021, 0.00077, and 0.012, respectively. Based on the residue levels of toxic heavy metals in the growth soils and soil parameters, the prediction models for NPI and BCF were established, with the adjusted regression coefficients of 0.65 (NPI) and 0.81 (BCF). The contribution rates of different soil parameters to NPI were 21.7% (OC), 16.1% (Pb), 17.1% (Cr), 19.8% (Cd), and 25.4% (As), respectively. The contribution rates of different soil parameters to BCF were 10.2% (OC), 9.4% (Cr), and 80.4% (Cd), respectively.

Heavy Metal Contamination and Ecological Risk Assessment in Soils and Sediments of an Industrial Area in Southwestern Nigeria.

Background.Increased growth of industrial activities, especially in urban centers, is one of the main sources of toxic substances in Nigeria. The level of these impacts is not well known. Soil and sediment samples from one such industrial area were examined for their mineralogical composition and heavy metals contents in order to assess the level of contamination and potential ecological risk status.Methods.Mineralogical composition of the media and their heavy metals concentrations were determined using X-ray diffractometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry methods, respectively. Ecological risk assessment was carried out using single (contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, enrichment factor) and multi-elemental (contamination degree, pollution index and modified pollution index) standard indices.Results.The average heavy metal concentrations in soils and sediments followed the order magnesium (Mn) > chromium (Cr) > lead (Pb) > copper (Cu) > cadmium (Cd) > cobalt (Co) > nickel (Ni), with corresponding values for soils and sediments of 324.3, 79.9, 66.1, 40.7, 14.3, 9.1, 6.8 mg kg−1 and 266.8, 78.6, 40.6, 39.8, 12.9, 8.4, 4.6 mg kg−1, respectively. Principal component (PC) analysis of the results indicated three main sources of metals (industrial, vehicular activities and geogenic input). Evaluated contamination factor (Cf), enrichment factor (Ef) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) revealed very high contamination for Pb, Cd and Cu in all of the samples, with calculated pollution index (PI) and modified pollution index (MPI) revealing that all the samples were severely polluted. Calculated potential ecological risk factor (ERi) within the industrial area demonstrated a strong potential ecological risk for Cd, Pb and Cu.Conclusions.Activities in the industrial area have affected the quality of the analyzed environmental media, with possible detrimental health consequences. Regular environmental monitoring of the industrial area and the formulation of appropriate policies that support reduction of contamination are strongly recommended. However, due to the limitations of comparing site samples with a single control sample in this work, further study is recommended to compliment this preliminary study.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing financial interests

Heavy metal fractionation in core sediments and potential biological risk assessment from Chilika lagoon, Odisha state, India

The distribution and fractionation of heavy metals in the sediment cores from five locations and their impacts on ecological health of Chilika lagoon were investigated. The heavy metals Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Co, Ni, Mn and Fe were determined in the cores. In general the average concentration of heavy metals in different cores are found in the following order Fe > Mn > Cu > Pb > Zn > Ni > Co > Cd. The cores (C1, C3 and C5) collected near the major fishing villages and jetties have higher metal concentration when compared with cores collected from relatively pristine regions. Correlations between the trace metals and Organic Carbon (OC), Total Nitrogen (TN), Total Phosphorus (TP) and silty clay fraction, suggests that these elements and grain size play a role in controlling the abundance of heavy metals in the sediments. Metals like Pb, Cu, Zn are positively correlated to OC, TN and TP and grain size. Significant enrichment for Pb (EF = 5–20) and moderately significant enrichments for Cu (EF = 2–5) is observed in almost all the cores. Co and Ni are moderately enriched in cores C1 and C2. Extremely severe enrichment for Cd (EF > 40) is observed in core C1. Runoff from the agricultural fields, untreated sewage discharge and boat traffic are the major heavy metal sources. Roadway runoff, fuel discharge and atmospheric deposition are the dominant source of elevated Pb levels. The fractionation profiles of metals in different cores found them to be associated mostly with residual phase followed by Fe-Mn oxides and organic bound metals. Risk Assessment Code (RAC) reveals significant pollution by Mn in almost all the cores, whereas Pb, Cu and Zn are also present in bioavailable form to some extent in the sediments. In general, Fe-Mn oxides and organic bound metal fraction phases would contribute metals accumulation into the food-chain (i.e plant and fishery resources) consumed by the population create human health hazards.

Reclaimed Wastewater Quality Assessment for Irrigation and Its Mid-Time Reuse Effects on Paddy Growth and Yield under Farmer Management

Introduction: Many studies have been conducted on irrigation of upland crops with reclaimed wastewater while there have been a few reports about wastewater reuse for paddies. The majority of irrigation water requirement of paddy field in Bandargaz region (Iran) during the dry season within the last 12 years is dependent on effluent of treatment plant. Accordingly, different water parameters and 12 irrigation water quality indexes and economical- environmental filed management factor (fertilizer application rate) and crop growth and yield were studied in freshwater (FW) and wastewater (WW) filelds. Explanation: Unexpectedly, wastewater and freshwater salinity was less and more than the threshold salinity of paddy (2.0 dS.m-1), respectively and due to the high concentration of chlorine, FW is not suitable for irrigation. Based on almost all of indices and standards for assessing irrigation water quality, WW was significantly better than FW. Conclusion: The average concentration of heavy metals in both FW and WW samples were in the order of Cr˂Cd˂Pb˂Ni. However, results showed that concentration of heavy metals in WW was significantly more than FW. Nevertheless, these were below maximum allowable based on international standards and guidelines. The average nitrogen concentration in the reclaimed wastewater was 11.2 mg.lit-1 that was more than the required nitrogen concentration (7 mg.lit-1). So, a dilution strategy could be adopted when reclaimed water is used. No significant difference was observed in two type farms based on plant height, spike length, and 1000-seed weight, but this factor was significantly effective on seed per spike and seed yield so that they were higher in WW irrigated farms by 12.4 and 10 percent, respectively.

Comprehensive method for evaluating soil quality in cotton fields in Xinjiang, China

To evaluate the soil quality in the main cotton growing regions of Xinjiang, 11 soil quality indices were measured in representative locations: Hami, Bole, Changji, Shihezi, Aksu, Kashgar and Kuitun. The indices included soil pH, salt, organic matter, total N, available P and available K for soil physicochemical properties, and Cr, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb for soil heavy metal pollution. Based on these indices, a comprehensive soil quality index (SQI) was developed to analyze the soil quality in the cotton fields of Xinjiang. The results showed that the soils in Xinjiang's cotton fields were alkaline, with an average pH of 7.87. The soils were mildly saline, with an average salt content of 3.44 g·kg-1. Soil organic matter and total N concentrations were generally low, whereas available P and available K concentrations were relatively high. Soil available P concentrations were significantly higher than that of the second national soil survey, whereas soil pH, salt content, organic matter, and total N were less. Soil available K was greater in some regions but lower in others compared with the second national soil survey. The average heavy metal concentrations were as follows: Cr, 45.88 mg·kg-1; Cu, 40.66 mg·kg-1; Zn, 68.30 mg·kg-1; As, 12.88 mg·kg-1; and Pb, 16.68 mg·kg-1. These values were all below the national standards. However, the Cu, Zn, and As concentrations were greater than the background values in Xinjiang, indicating the accumulation of those elements in the soils. When the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index (PN) of heavy metals was less than 0.5, the comprehensive soil quality improved as the soil physicochemical properties improved. Soil organic matter, total N, Cu, Zn, As and Pb were the main variables affecting soil quality in the main cotton cropping regions of Xinjiang. The cotton growing areas in Xinjiang generally had medium soil quality. Changji and Kuitun had the highest SQI (0.52) whereas Aksu had the lowest value (0.31). Soil quality was generally highest in northern Xinjiang, followed by western area, and then southern area.

Distribution of heavy metals in soils and vegetables and health risk assessment in the vicinity of three contaminated sites in Guangdong Province, China

ABSTRACTDue to rapid industrialization and urbanization, human activities like industrial and agricultural production, transportation, aggravate heavy metal pollution in soil and continue to endanger vegetables and human health. In this study, three contaminated areas affected by heavy metal pollution in Guangdong Province were investigated in terms of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd concentrations in soil and vegetables. Further analyses of the contamination status and potential risks to the health of residents consuming these vegetables were conducted. Results showed the following average heavy metal concentrations in vegetables and soil: Shaoguan > Guangzhou > Dongguan, indicating that mining has caused massive soil-heavy metal pollution. The heavy metal concentrations and Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) showed the following trend: leaf-vegetables > fruit-vegetables > root-vegetables, and those of vegetable type were as follows: Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb. The Nemero pollution index (PI) of all research region soils and hazard index (HI) exceeded 1. Hence, more attention should be paid to the potential for adverse health effects caused by the consumption of vegetables produced in these sites . Thus, effective measures are encouraged, with a focus on children due to their vulnerability to these heavy metals.

Magnetic, geochemical characterization and health risk assessment of road dust in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, China.

As an accumulation of solid organic and inorganic pollutant particles on outdoor ground surfaces, road dust is an important carrier of heavy metal contaminants and can be a valuable medium for characterizing urban environmental quality. Because the dusts can be an important source of atmospheric particles and take impact on human health, the aim of this study described in detail the mineralogical characteristics, morphology, and heavy metal content of road dust from Xuanwei and Fuyuan, locations with high lung cancer incidence. Our results show that the average concentrations of heavy metals in road dust were higher than their background values. Higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in the magnetic fractions (MFs) than in the non-magnetic fractions (NMFs). Magnetic measurements revealed high magnetic susceptibility values in the road dust samples, and the dominant magnetic carrier was magnetite. The magnetic grains were predominantly pseudo-single domain, multi-domain, and coarse-grained stable single domains (coarse SSD) in size. SEM/XRD analysis identified two groups of magnetic particles: spherules and angular/aggregate particles. Hazard index (HI) values for adults exposure to road dust samples, including MF, Bulk, and NMF, in both areas were lower or close to safe levels, while HI values for childhood exposure to magnetic fractions in both areas were very close or higher than safe levels. Cancer risks from road dust exposure in both areas were in the acceptable value range.

Environmental and Body Concentrations of Heavy Metals at Sites Near and Distant from Industrial Complexes in Ulsan, Korea.

BackgroundIndustrial pollution may affect the heavy metal body burden of people living near industrial complexes. We determined the average concentrations of atmospheric heavy metals in areas close to and distant from industrial complexes in Korea, and the body concentrations of these heavy metals in residents living near and distant from these facilities.MethodsThe atmospheric data of heavy metals (lead and cadmium) were from the Regional Air Monitoring Network in Ulsan. We recruited 1,148 participants, 872 who lived near an industrial complex (“exposed” group) and 276 who lived distant from industrial complexes (“non-exposed” group), and measured their concentrations of blood lead, urinary cadmium, and urinary total mercury.ResultsThe results showed that atmospheric and human concentrations of heavy metals were higher in areas near industrial complexes. In addition, residents living near industrial complexes had higher individual and combined concentrations (cadmium + lead + mercury) of heavy metals.ConclusionWe conclude that residents living near industrial complexes are exposed to high concentrations of heavy metals, and should be carefully monitored.

Using regression model to identify and evaluate heavy metal pollution sources in an open pit coal mine area, Eastern Junggar, China

This study aims at identifying multi-source heavy metal pollution from natural and anthropogenic sources using a regression model, principal component analysis, and five different indices (geo-accumulation index (I geo), the modified degree of contamination, pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor, and ecological risk factor. Results revealed that: (1) although the average concentrations of soil heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Pb, Hg, As, Zn) were generally low, Hg, As, and Cr concentrations exceeded national standard values by approximately 0.91, 1.84, and 0.91 times with maximum concentrations up to 0.41, 78.6, and 175.2 μg/g, respectively; (2) PLI results showed that the industrial park and Wucaiwan open coal mining area were the most polluted (PLI of 1.98, 1.71). The potential ecological hazards index indicated that the E i r of three heavy metals (Cu, Hg, As) in the soil were relatively high, presenting potential ecological risk factors of 74.89, 16.71, 4.15%, respectively; (3) stepwise regression model and principal component analysis suggest that Cu and Zn were primarily effected by the natural geological condition and atmospheric dust fall. Cr, Hg, Pb are mainly derived from anthropogenic sources, particularly coal mining activities and industrial sources. Results of this research have some significant implications for heavy metal pollution prevention and the sustainable development of the economy and ecology of arid regions in China.

Determination of heavy metals in canned fruits and vegetables sold in Jordan market.

In this study, the concentrations of selected heavy metals including Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, As, and Cd in different brands of canned vegetables and fruits including canned tomato sauce (ketchup), canned green beans, canned whole carrots, and canned juice (pineapple) imported to Jordanian market were determined by acid digestion and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Samples were collected from popular Jordanian markets, Irbid city, Northern Jordan (11 samples of each type). The metal concentrations in the samples analyzed were found to be in the range of 2.6-3.0mg/kg for Pb, 0.50-0.60mg/kg for Cd, 2.50-5.10mg/kg for As, 0.84-0.91mg/kg for Cu, 0.32-3.02mg/kg for Zn, 0.66-1.71mg/kg for Cr, and 0.97-2.94mg/kg for Ni. The results obtained showed that Pb and As have the highest concentrations in the most of samples analyzed, whereas, the lowest concentrations obtained were mainly in Cd. For example, in canned tomato sauce, the average concentrations of heavy metals are 3.50mg/kg for As, 0.50mg/kg for Cd, 0.66mg/kg for Cr, 0.89mg/kg for Cu, 1.15mg/kg for Ni, 2.95mg/kg for Pb, and 1.02mg/kg for Zn. The results of this study reveal that the concentration of some toxic heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Ni, As, and Cd) in canned vegetable and fruit samples being sold in Jordanian markets exceeded the permissible limits set by different health organizations.

Spatial Distribution of Metals and Associated Risks in Surface Sediments Along a Typical Urban River Gradient in the Beijing Region.

Surface sediments from Beiyun River located in the rapidly urbanized Beijing metropolis were collected and analyzed for heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) to investigate their spatial distribution pattern, ecotoxicology and source identification. Results indicated the average heavy metal concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were approximately 4, 2, 3, 2, and 4 times higher than their background values. Spatially, we found the concentrations of heavy metals made significant change in four sections along urbanized river gradients. The contents in midstream of urban region and farmland region (section2 and section3) were greater than those in upstream (section1) and downstream (section4). However, one-way analysis of variance for spatial analysis suggested there were no significant differences between mainstream and tributaries. The geo-accumulation index (I geo) used to assess the sediment quality exhibited there was a decreasing order for the average I geo of measured heavy metals: Zn (0.82)>Cd (0.53)>Cu (0.50)>Cr (-0.08)>Pb (-0.45)>Ni (-0.96)>Mn (-0.97)>As (-1.01), whereas they had different "high-low" orders at different sampling transects. Ecological risk index values showed that section2 and section3 revealed a high and moderate ecological risk, respectively. Furthermore, principal component analysis indicated the first principle component explained 64.73% of total variance with the main pollutants of As, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Cu which were probably controlled by the mixed sources covering natural factors and anthropogenic input.

Distribution and potential ecological risk of heavy metals accumulated in subsidence lakes formed in the Huainan Coalfield, China

ABSTRACTThe potential environmental and ecological impacts caused by heavy metals are of great concern due to their toxicity and availability. Thirty-six sediment samples from subsidence lakes around three coal mines (with different exploration durations) were collected to evaluate the environmental and ecological impacts caused by coal mining activities. The concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Fe) were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Geo-accumulation and ecological risk assessment methods were employed to evaluate the potential environmental and ecological risks. The concentrations of As and Cd ranged from 13.5 to 47.4 and 0.26 to 1.75 mg/kg, respectively, which were much higher than the background values in Chinese soils (11.2 and 0.09 mg/kg, respectively). The highest average concentrations of heavy metals were detected in Xinzhuangzi Coal Mine, suggesting that possible emissions of heavy metals occurred during long-term coal mining processes (mining, transportation, coal combustion, and waste disposal). The geo-accumulation assessment indicated that the sediment in the vicinity of Xinzhuangzhi and Panyi Coal Mines was heavily contaminated by Cd. Based on the environmental and ecological risk assessment, As and Cd were regarded to be the priority control components. Appropriate countermeasures including the removal and utilization of coal rejects, application of a vegetative cover on coal rejects, and fixation of heavy metals and controlled disposal should be considered to eliminate environmental and ecological risks in coal mining areas.

Heavy metals in some moss species found around Camlihemsin district of Rize, Turkey

Abstract&#x0D; In recent years, environmental safety associated with heavy metal levels of a tourism area and its surrounding areas has been one of the basic security for tourists health. Various methods have been used for measuring concentrations of heavy metal levels in these areas. Biomonitoring organisms such as mosses provide quantitative information on the quality of the environment around them, and they respond to pollution by altering their physiology or their ability to accumulate heavy metals. The aim of this study is to assess the concentration of aluminum, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, and zinc levels in five different moss species collected around Camlihemsin district of Rize, by using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Spectrometry. The average concentrations of heavy metals in moss samples were found ranged from 3.8-8.3% for aluminum, 0.1-0.47% for manganese, 2.3-3.8% for iron, 38.8-74.2 ppm for nickel, 92.1-495.3 ppm for copper, 187.3-334 ppm for zinc. This study has shown that Abietinella abietina, Hypnum cupressiforme, Plagiomnium undulate, Rhytidium rugosum, and Thuidium tamariscinum samples were used to assess the potential contamination of Al, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn contamination in the region and made important contributions toward the understanding of Al, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn baseline data can be used for identification of changes in the levels of these heavy metals in the studied area.&#x0D; Keywords: Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Spectrometry, heavy metals, moss, biomonitor, environment.&#x0D;

Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Soil Growing for Red Pepper (Capsicum annuum) with using Lime Bordeaux and Lime Sulphur Mixture

Lime bordeaux mixture (LBM) and lime sulfur mixture (LSM) are representative environmental friendly organic materials for prevention of insect pests in South Korea. Recently, those have been widely used as an alternative for chemical pesticides in eco-friendly farms. However, South Korea has not established even recommendation of LBM and LSM considering the stability of heavy metals in soil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of hazardous heavy metals in soil and plant with long-term application of LBM and LSM. Firstly, we investigated the amount of LBM and LSM used per year in several eco-friendly farms to determine a standard application rate of both materials. The pepper plant was grown on the pot in greenhouse for 14 weeks. Both materials were applied at 0, 1, 3, and 9 times of standard application rates (2.56 and 1.28 L ha-1 of LBM and LSM per year, respectively). Dry matter yield of pepper and heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) concentration in soil and pepper plant were measured after 14 weeks. Yield of pepper plant did not significantly chang with up to application rate of 1 times, thereafter it markedly decreased with more than 3 times. With increasing LBM and LSM application, the concentration of Cu and Zn in soil significantly increased. Especially, Zn concentration in pepper significantly increased with increasing application rates of both materials. This might resulted in significant decrease in dry matter yield of pepper. The concentrations of those heavy metals in soil did not exceed safety levels (150 mg kg-1 for Cu and 300 mg kg-1 for Zn) established by the Korean Soil Environmental Conservation Act as well as concentration of heavy metals in pepper plant by Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. However, particular attention should be paid for heavy metal safety and crop productivity when using LBM and LSM in the organic farm. Concentration of heavy metals in soil amended with different rate of Bordeaux and Sulphur mixtures at harvest time. †Criteria value: Maximum permissible concentration of heavy metal in soil established by Korean Soil Conservation Act.‡Average value: Average concentration of heavy metals in Korean arable soils.§tr: trace.