Sources Of Heavy Metal Pollution Research Articles

Evaluation and Source of Heavy Metal Pollution in Surface Soil of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Spatial distribution and source apportionment of heavy metals in the surface soil of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was investigated to gain an understanding of the pollution characteristics. The surface soil (0-20 cm) samples were collected from the northeast to the southwest in the study area. The total amount of 13 heavy metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sc, and Zn) was determined. The potential sources of heavy metals were preliminarily apportioned and identified by the principal component analysis-absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (PCA-APCS-MLR) receptor model. Results show that the average contents of Cd and Sb significantly exceed the environment standard, and they were 2.13 and 1.52 higher than the soil background values of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the 1970s, respectively. The enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and Nemero synthesis index (PN) were used to evaluate the surface soil heavy metal contamination, which indicated that Cd and Sb also were pollutants in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with a limited pollution level. Various levels of pollution were presented at the central, southeastern, and northeastern regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, while the central and southeastern areas exhibited relatively severe pollution levels. The PCA-APCS-MLR levels revealed that three main sources of heavy metals in the soil of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were the natural source, traffic activities, and the mining industry, in that order. Cobalt, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Sc, were largely affected by natural sources, while Ba, Cd, Mo, and Pb were mainly affected by traffic activities. Specifically, Zn gave priority to natural and traffic sources, and Sb was jointly affected by natural sources, traffic activities, and the mining industry. Therefore, Sb and Cd pollution from traffic activities and the mining industry should be noted in control plans for the heavy metal pollution in soil of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Spatial Variations and Potential Risks of Heavy Metals in Seawater, Sediments, and Living Organisms in Jiuzhen Bay, China

Coastal waters are polluted by heavy metals to varying degrees, posing potential risks to marine ecology and human health. In May 2006, the pollution levels, sources, and ecological risks of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Hg, and As) in seawater, surface sediments, and living organisms were studied in Jiuzhen Bay in Fujian, China. This study identified Hg (0.26–0.72 µg/L) and As (20.3–31.5 µg/L) pollution in the seawater of Jiuzhen Bay. In sediments, heavy Pb pollution (946 µg/g dw) was only detected at one station at a level posing very serious potential risk, while Hg pollution (0.052–0.087 µg/g dw) was observed at three stations at a level posing serious potential risk. No heavy metal pollution was detected in sediments at other stations. The concentrations of five heavy metals (Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) exceeded the corresponding National Quality Standards for oysters, indicating heavy pollution, based on an ecological risk assessment. In clams, two heavy metals (Pb and As) exceeded the standards, indicating light pollution, based on an ecological risk assessment. No heavy metal pollution was found in fish or shrimps. The heavy metals in the seawater and sediments of Jiuzhen Bay are mainly derived from the river discharges of Luxi and Wujiang Rivers although sewage discharge along the coast of Jiuzhen Bay is another source of heavy metal pollution at some stations. Given the pollution of Pb, Hg, and As in seawater and sediments at some stations within the bay, the potential risks of Pb, Hg, and As in living organisms to both the marine ecology and human health deserve increased attention.

Heavy metals (lead, cadmium and zinc) from street dust in Monterrey, Mexico: ecological risk index

Street dust is widely recognized as one of the major non-point sources of heavy metal pollution and represents an important pathway for human exposure. Concentrations of heavy metals in 41 samples of street dust from six municipalities’ sampled zones on the Monterrey Metropolitan Area in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, were evaluated. The results of concentrations of metals from the downtown, eastern, southern and southeast zones follow the order of lead > zinc > cadmium with only at the downtown and east zones not detecting the presence of cadmium in the samples collected. For the other zones, the order was zinc > lead > cadmium. The downtown zone is characterized by its commercial activity and vehicular traffic, reaching values of 1590 mg kg−1 of lead per each 0.450 m2 sampled on the averaged collected sample representative of an area of 25 m2. The non-impacted area showed concentrations of lead at 7.36 mg kg−1, cadmium 0.25 mg kg−1 and zinc 70.5 mg kg−1. Based on these values, the ecological risk indexes are within the moderate to the extremely high range of pollution in all zones except for the southwest. The potential ecological index shows that lead is present as a pollutant in all sampled points and contributes greatly to a very high ecological risk index observed in the downtown zone of the Monterrey Metropolitan Area.

Total concentrations and sources of heavy metal pollution in global river and lake water bodies from 1972 to 2017

This study collected past sampling data on total concentrations of 12 heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, Zn, Cu, Ni, Al, Fe, Mn, As, and Co) in surface water bodies, i.e., 168 rivers and 71 lakes, from 1972 to 2017. The intent was to investigate the levels and sources of heavy metal pollution across five decades and five continents. Mean heavy metal concentrations in global river and lake water, and the number of heavy metals with concentrations greater than the published threshold limits as per the standards of both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) were generally lower in the 1970s and 1980s than in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Over time, heavy metal pollution in surface water has changed from single metal pollution to mixed metal pollution. Heavy metal concentrations in water, and the number of heavy metals with concentrations above the threshold limits for both WHO and USEPA standards were lower in the developed countries of Europe and North America, and higher in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, and South America. Over time, the main sources of metal pollution have changed from mining and manufacturing to rock weathering and waste discharge. The main metal sources differed across the five continents, with fertilizer and pesticide use, along with rock weathering, being dominant in Africa. Mining and manufacturing, along with rock weathering, were dominant in Asia and Europe. Mining and manufacturing, along with fertilizer and pesticide use, were dominant sources in North America, while four sources (mining and manufacturing, fertilizer and pesticide use, rock weathering, and waste discharge) were responsible for the majority of heavy metal pollution in the river and lake water bodies of South America. Additionally, implementing rigorous standards on metal emissions and recycling metals from wastewater are effective for controlling heavy metal source pollution.

Identifying factors that influence soil heavy metals by using categorical regression analysis: A case study in Beijing, China

Identifying the factors that influence the heavy metal contents of soil could reveal the sources of soil heavy metal pollution. In this study, a categorical regression was used to identify the factors that influence soil heavy metals. First, environmental factors were associated with soil heavy metal data, and then, the degree of influence of different factors on the soil heavy metal contents in Beijing was analyzed using a categorical regression. The results showed that the soil parent material, soil type, land use type, and industrial activity were the main influencing factors, which suggested that these four factors were important sources of soil heavy metals in Beijing. In addition, population density had a certain influence on the soil Pb and Zn contents. The distribution of soil As, Cd, Pb, and Zn was markedly influenced by interactions, such as traffic activity and land use type, industrial activity and population density. The spatial distribution of soil heavy metal hotspots corresponded well with the influencing factors, such as industrial activity, population density, and soil parent material. In this study, the main factors affecting soil heavy metals were identified, and the degree of their influence was ranked. A categorical regression represents a suitable method for identifying the factors that influence soil heavy metal contents and could be used to study the genetic process of regional soil heavy metal pollution.

Quantitative assessment of human health risks under different land uses based on soil heavy metal pollution sources

Risk assessments and source analyses are important tools for the control of heavy metal soil pollution. In this study, the receptor model positive matrix factor method (PMF) and the health risk model are used to quantitatively evaluate the human health risks (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) of different pollution sources. The results showed that nickel, copper, and lead were significantly enriched due to human activities. The PMF model identified four pollution sources, among which agricultural activities contributed the most to soil heavy metal contamination (33.72%). Although the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to children were higher than those of adults, the health risks to both cohorts showed the same trend in the different land-use types. In terms of cancer risk, agricultural activities were the largest source of pollution, accounting for 37%, 41%, and 38% of the carcinogenic risk in construction, agricultural, and forest lands, respectively. Non-carcinogenic risks were primarily due to industrial emissions, and industrial activity was second only to agricultural activity in carcinogenic risk. This suggests that sources that contain dangerous heavy metals, such as Cr may lead to higher health risks. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the quantitative assessment of health risks under different land-use.

Metals source apportionment in farmland soil and the prediction of metal transfer in the soil-rice-human chain

China is facing serious heavy metal pollution in farmland soil, which is a major pressing concern for food safety and human health. This research delivers an integrated methodology for pollution source apportionment and a soil-rice-human model to predict heavy metal transfer in the farmland soil, rice grain and human blood chain. The source identification integrated positive matrix factorization (PMF), cluster analysis (CA) and the life cycle assessment (LCA) survey of agricultural and industrial production and consumption. Based on the case analysis of Shaoxing, this method showed very good performance through the illustration of the source contributions by PMF and LCA at county level and the identification of the pollution sources using CA and LCA at field scale. According to the overall evaluation, the integrated method was superior for the farmland metals pollution source identification comparing to existing source apportionment methods. To predict metal transformation in soil-rice-human chain, a set of models of metals (As, Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr) accumulation ability in rice grain and human blood has been established by literature review and monitoring data. The models showed adequate predictability for the metal content of rice grains at both the field and regional scale, and plausible simulation of the metal concentration in human blood throughout the whole study region. Therefore, this study provides valuable tools for farmland soil heavy metal pollution source identification and for the prediction of heavy metal transformation in soil-rice-human chain; and it can highlight the need to take mitigating action to reduce farmland metal pollution risks in specific regions.

Trends and Sources of Heavy Metal Pollution in Global River and Lake Sediments from 1970 to 2018.

Heavy metal pollution is a global problem although its sources and trends differ by region and time. To data, no published research has reported heavy metal pollution in global rivers and lakes. This study reviewed past sampling data across six continents from 1970 to 2018 and analyzed the trends and sources of 10 heavy metal species in sediments from 289 rivers and 133 lakes. Collectively, river sediments showed increasing trends in Cd, Cr, Ni, Mn, and Co and decreasing trends in Hg, indicating that rivers acted as a sink for the former and a source for the latter. Lake sediments showed increasing trends in Pb, Hg, Cr, and Mn, and decreasing trends in Cd, Zn, and As, indicating that lakes acted as a sink for the former and a source for the latter. Due to difference in natural backgrounds and development stage in continents, mean metal concentrations were generally higher in Europe and North America than in Africa, Asia, and South America. Principal component analysis showed that main metal source was mining and manufacturing from the 1970s to 1990s and domestic waste discharge from the 2000s to 2010s. Metal sources in sediments differed greatly by continent, with rock weathering dominant in Africa, mining and manufacturing dominant in North America, and domestic waste discharge dominant in Asia and Europe. Global trends in sediment metal loads and pollution-control measures suggest that the implementation of rigorous standards on metal emissions, limitations on metal concentrations in manufactured products, and the pretreatment of metal-contaminated waste have been effective at controlling heavy metal pollution in rivers and lakes. Thus, these efforts should be extended globally.

Impact of heavy metals on Ciconia boyciana feathers and Larus saundersi egg shells in the Yellow River delta estuary.

In this study, the Ciconia boyciana and Larus saundersi, typical wetland birds in the Yellow River estuary, were selected as research objects. The feathers and egg shells of Ciconia boyciana and Larus saundersi were collected to determine the contents of heavy metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni and Pb in the samples. Correlation analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), principal factor analysis (PFA) and potential ecological risk index (RI) were used to analyse and treat the measured heavy metal content data to determine the heavy metal pollution status, source and potential ecological risk in the Yellow River estuary. The results of CA, PCA and PFA showed that the content of Cd in the Yellow River estuary was much higher than the background value and its pollution was the most serious. Cr pollution was second and Mn pollution was the lowest. Heavy metal pollution mainly came from human activities such as oil exploitation, industrial production, use of pesticides and fertilizers, and the pollution caused by natural sources was relatively low. Based on the RI value of heavy metals in the study area, heavy metal Cd had an extremely high ecological risk status, and other heavy metals were all low. The results of this study can provide some reference and theoretical support for bird protection, heavy metal pollution control and ecological restoration in the Yellow River delta.

Динамика распределения тяжелых металлов и мышьяка в пылевом аэрозоле и почвах Северного Таджикистана

Приведены результаты исследования по определению содержания тяжелых металлов (ТМ) в форме свободных элементов или оксидов, а также мышьяка в пробах атмосферного аэрозоля и почв северного Таджикистана за период с 2013 по 2019 годы. По результатам сравнительного анализа элементного состава аэрозоля и почв выявлена их межгодовая изменчивость, свидетельствующая о том, что особенности временных вариаций носят региональный характер и, в основном, определяются динамикой изменения содержания ТМ при смене воздушных масс. Анализ элементного состава проб методом рентгенофлуоресцентного анализа показал наибольшее содержание в аэрозоле стронция (376,8 ppm), цинка (2159,5 ppm), меди (118,8 ppm), оксида марганца (796,7 ppm) и ванадия (124,3 ppm) - зафиксировано в 2013 г.; оксида железа (5,3 %) и мышьяка (23,7 ppm) - в 2014 г.; никеля (66,7 ppm), хрома (112 ppm) и оксида титана (0,67%) - в 2015 г.; свинца (124,7 ppm), и кобальта (19,9 ppm) - в 2017 г. Содержание в почве элементов первого (мышьяк, свинец, цинк) и второго классов опасности (медь, никель, кобальт, хром) значительно превышает ПДК во многих районах. Обсуждаются возможные источники загрязнения ТМ, которые, в основном, имеют антропогенный характер (автомобильный транспорт, предприятия металлургической промышленности, открытые хвостохранилища и др.). The article presents the results of determining content of heavy metals (or metal oxides) and arsenic in samples of atmospheric aerosol and soils of northern Tajikistan collected during 2013-2019. The results of a comparative analysis of the elemental composition of aerosol and soils highlighted their interannual variability, indicating a specific regional character of temporal variations which are mainly determined by dynamics of changes in the content of the examined substances affected by air mass changing. X-ray fluorescence technique has been used for analysis of the elemental composition of the samples and revealed the following highest concentrations of the examined substances in aerosol: strontium (376.8 ppm), zinc (2159.5 ppm), copper (118.8 ppm), manganese oxide (796.7 ppm), and vanadium (124.3 ppm) as measured in 2013; the highest content of arsenic (23.7 ppm) - measured in 2014; nickel (66.7 ppm), chromium (112 ppm), and titanium oxide (0.67%) - in 2015; lead (124.7 ppm) and cobalt (19.9 ppm) - in 2017. The measured concentrations in soil samples for the substances belonging to the first (arsenic, lead, zinc) and second hazard class (copper, nickel, cobalt, chromium) are found to exceed the levels of the corresponding maximum permissible values for many sampling locations. Possible sources of heavy metal and arsenic pollution are discussed, which are mostly of anthropogenic origin (automobile transport, metallurgical industrial enterprises, open tailing dumps, etc.).

Risk assessment, spatial patterns and source apportionment of soil heavy metals in a typical Chinese hickory plantation region of southeastern China

Chinese hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg.) is a famous woody nut in China. Currently, there is an increasing concern related to the soil heavy metal pollution in Chinese hickory plantations. In this study, a total of 188 soil samples were collected from Lin’an city, a typical Chinese hickory production area. The results showed that the average background concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cr in soils were 0.37, 40.76, 87.61, 30.10, 28.33 and 56.57 mg kg−1, respectively. The Cd and Pb concentrations in Chinese hickory plantation soils had strong variability coefficients of 186.49% and 95.42%, respectively. Compared with the background values in Zhejiang province, the heavy metals were enriched in the plantation soils. The accumulation ratio followed the order of Cu > Cd > Pb > Ni > Zn > Cr. Part of the study area was seriously contaminated by Cd and Cu, as 31.38% of soil Cd and Cu samples exceeded the second grade standardized value of Environmental Quality Standards of Soils (EQSS). The soils in our study area generally reached a moderate ecological risk, as its average RI value reached 103. Moran’s I and Kriging interpolation results revealed that all the studied heavy metals in soils had clear spatial distribution patterns. The high values of soil heavy metals (except Pb) were mainly distributed in the localities closest to the mine area. The apportionment of heavy metal pollution sources showed that the Cu, Ni and Cr in soils were mainly related to mining activities, Pb was closely related to fertilizer application, Cd and Zn were related to both. The heavy metals in soils may pose a potential threat to local ecosystem and human health. Our results implied that soil heavy metals should be tested, and risk-based management should be performed in the economic plantations in China. These maps could provide useful information for forestry and environmental management.

Heavy metal concentrations of soils near the large opencast coal mine pits in China.

Mining is a common industrial activity and significant source of soil heavy metal (HM) pollution. However, nearly all studies on the effects of mining activities on soil environmental quality have entailed field monitoring of small regions or bibliometric analyses. This study therefore investigated the pollution of surface soils surrounding 135 large opencast coal mining pits in China. A total of 1772 surface soil samples were collected, and the concentrations of eight major HMs were determined. The HM concentrations in this study were relatively lower than the published HM concentrations of coal mine soils from 50 typical Chinese coal mines. However, pollution assessments indicated that Cd, Cu, and As concentrations were concerning. Significant correlations existed between all of the HMs and mining pit area (p<0.01), as well as between the Pb and Zn concentrations and direction (p<0.05). Climate conditions had large influences on the HM concentrations. The concentrations of all studied HMs, except for Ni, were highest in Anthrosols and lowest in hydromorphic soils. The concentrations of all HMs, except for Hg, in land use types showed a descending trend of cultivated land>garden plot>grassland. Significantly negative correlations (p<0.01) between all HM concentrations and elevation were observed. Cr, Zn, and Ni were significantly and positively correlated with the slope, and no HMs, except Cr, showed significant correlations with the parcel area. This paper provides insights for the policymakers regarding soil pollution control and management strategies near coal mine pits.

Contaminant Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessments of Heavy Metals from River Networks in the Western Area of the Wangyu River

To study the pollution characteristics and ecological risks of heavy metals in the western area of the Wangyu River, water and surface sediment samples of five rivers were investigated. The concentration and chemical fractions of eight heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, and Hg) were analyzed, the pollution sources of heavy metals were studied using multivariate statistical analysis, and various ecological risk assessments were applied to identify the level of heavy metal contaminants. The results showed that the concentration of heavy metals in water was low, except for Hg, which was lower than the Class I standard of Surface Water Environmental Quality Standard. The content of heavy metals in surface sediments was high, except for Hg, which was significantly higher than the environmental background values. The partition coefficient of heavy metals in water-sediments showed that Cd, As, and Hg had strong re-emission potential. The Igeo indicated that Cu, Zn, and Cd were in a high pollution state as a whole. The RI showed that Cd was the main ecological risk factor in the study area. The RRSP indicated that the degree of pollution by Ni, Zn, and As was low because of its high residual fraction ratio, which was difficult to release under natural conditions. However, the degree of pollution by Cd was high because it had the highest content of weak acid extractable fraction among all the heavy metals. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to Cd contamination. The source analysis of heavy metals showed that the western area of the Wangyu River was mainly affected by the pollution emissions from the surrounding machinery factories.

Pollution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils in the Taige Canal Valley

To determine the distribution characteristics of heavy metal pollution in farmland soils and related influencing factors in the Taige canal valley, and guarantee soil environmental quality and safety of agricultural products, 118 topsoil samples were collected from the Taige canal valley's farmland soils, and contents of chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) were measured. A single factor index and comprehensive index were used to assess soil heavy metal contamination with the soil background value of the Taihu Lake basin as the evaluation standard. The multivariate statistical analysis and the geostatistical analysis were combined to identify and apportion the pollution sources of soil heavy metals. The results showed that:The average concentrations of Cr, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Cd in soils were 63.25, 0.25, 7.83, 35.24, 77.25, 31.48, 38.37, and 0.16 mg·kg-1, respectively, all of which except for Cr and As were higher than the local soil background values. The content of each heavy metal in most soil samples were lower than the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land. The comprehensive index showed that the degree of pollution of soil heavy metals were at a slightly polluted level in 87.29%, moderately polluted level in 5.93%, and severely polluted level in 6.78% of the sampling. Hg, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd in the watershed soil were affected by agricultural activities and atmospheric deposition. Cr and Ni were affected by the parent material and industrial production activities. As was mainly derived from the parent material.

Beyond mere pollution source identification: Determination of land covers emitting soil heavy metals by combining PCA/APCS, GeoDetector and GIS analysis

In this work, we propose a method that is not limited in the identification of the type of pollution source but it also suggests the land covers that emit heavy metals into the surrounding soils by introducing a three-stage procedure, as follows: (a) the Principal Component Analysis/Absolute Principal Component Scores technique is applied to the spatial distribution of soil heavy metal accumulations to identify the type of source that is responsible for soil heavy metal accumulation, (b) based on the spatial distribution of the principal component scores and on four selected driving factors (land cover, distance to mine or smelter, distance to road, and topographic elevation), the Geographical Detector model was used to identify the effect intensity of the driving factors on soil heavy metal accumulation and obtain the landscape type of pollutant sources, and (c) GIS analysis (buffer and overlap analysis) was performed on the principal component scores around the suspected land covers linked to the landscape type of pollutant sources to determine the land covers that, in fact, emit heavy metals into the surrounding soils. Based on the proposed approach, four mining and metallurgy land or land groups were determined to be the actual sources of soil heavy metal pollution in Daye city, Hubei Province, China. Lastly, a Multiple Linear Regression model with decay function was proposed to quantify the contributions of previously identified pollution sources to soil heavy metals accumulation. It was found that the HuangJin mountain quarry, the Tonglu mountain cooper mine (together with some related mineral processing and smelting enterprises), the Lion mountain mining and mineral processing base, and the large Oujia mountain mine are the four sources that contributed 3.2%, 34.3%, 8.3%, and 44% of the total soil heavy metal accumulations in the study area.

210Pb dating to investigate the historical variations and identification of different sources of heavy metal pollution in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, Southern China

In this study, we investigated the historical variation, source identification, and distribution of heavy metal pollution in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) using 210Pb dating. Our results suggest that the heavy metal concentrations were higher in the western part of the estuary. For all heavy metals, Cd was significantly enriched in the sediments. The Pearl River Delta (PRD) has experienced rapid economic development in the past 40 years, a decreasing trend in heavy metal fluxes after 2004 was identified, which suggests a reduction in heavy metal concentrations due to the removal of heavy polluting industries and the effective control of sewage discharge. A binary mixing model reveals that the contributions of anthropogenic Pb ranged from 45.4 to 64%. Based on lead isotopic ratios (206/207Pb and 208/206Pb), it was found that geologic materials and industrial pollution were the main sources of heavy metals in the PRE sediments.

Seasonal, spatial variation, and pollution sources of heavy metals in the sediment of the Saigon River, Vietnam

The current study was conducted to (1) examine seasonal and spatial distribution of heavy metals and metalloid in sediment from the Saigon River and (2) apportion and quantify their pollution sources. Ninety-six sediment samples were taken in the rainy and dry season on 13 sampling sites, distributed over the lower reaches of the River, to analyze for exchangeable concentration of 11 heavy metals and metalloid (Al, B, Cd, Co, Fe, In, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn), pH, EC, organic carbon content, and particle-size distribution. Generally, the concentration of 11 elements was ranked in the order Mn > Al > Fe > Zn > Sr > In > B > Ni > Co > Pb > Cd. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped 13 sampling sites into two parts based on the similar concentration of the 11 elements. Three-way analysis of variance showed that the total exchangeable concentration of 11 elements was significantly higher in the rainy season than in the dry season and in the upper part than in the lower part of the river. Principal component analysis/factor analysis and correlation analysis revealed that three pollution sources (PS) may contribute to enriching the 11 examined elements in the sediment. These sources included (PS1) from catchment through water erosion over natural areas, explaining 83%, (PS2) mixed sources from catchment through water erosion over agricultural fields and inside Ho Chi Minh City, accounting for 6%, and (PS3) mixed sources from lowland areas, explaining 7.8% of the total variance of the elements. In brief, the sediment concentration of 11 metals and metalloid varied with season and space and three major pollution sources from river catchment, inside Ho Chi Minh City, and lowland contributively enriched the elements in the sediment of the River.

Spatial distribution, source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of Haizhou Bay national ocean park, China

Haizhou Bay National Ocean Park is the first national ocean park in China. Consequently, the investigation of the spatial distribution characteristics, source apportionment, and ecological risks associated with heavy metals in this area is of great significance. Twelve sediment samples were collected in October 2016, and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) method and the potential ecological risk index (PERI) method were used to assess the ecological risk. The results showed that the concentrations of the heavy metals (except Cr and Cu) in the surface sediments of the study area met the primary standard of marine sediment quality (GB18668-2002). The spatial distribution pattern of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Haizhou Bay National Ocean Park featured high concentrations in the southwestern region and low concentrations in the northeastern region, with a gradual decrease with increasing distance offshore, indicating that anthropogenic activities were the main source of heavy metal pollution. The evaluation results of the Igeo and PERI methods showed that Cd was the element posing the greatest ecological risk and that the ecological risk level in Haizhou Bay National Ocean Park corresponded to moderately contaminated. These findings indicate that effective management strategies should be developed to protect the marine environmental quality.

Soil heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment associated with development zones in Shandong, China.

Heavy metal pollution in soils of development zones has attracted wide attention. In this study, soil heavy metal pollution levels and health risks in 15 selected development zones in Shandong Province were investigated for the first time. Geo-accumulation and potential ecological risk indexes were used to assess pollution levels, and health risk was assessed using the US Environmental Protection Agency model. The soil was contaminated by various heavy metals, among which Hg was dominant. A total of 19% of the monitoring sites showed moderate ecological risk level, and low risk level was observed in general. Pollution control of Hg and Cd in each development zone must be strengthened. Health risk analysis showed that noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risk levels for adults and children were acceptable or nearly acceptable. Positive matrix factorization model was used to identify three possible sources of heavy metal pollution, namely, industrial sources, atmospheric deposition, and transportation. Some specific measures should be taken to prioritize the control of Hg, As, and Cr for protecting the soil environment and human health, especially vulnerable groups, such as children.

Leaching of heavy metals from abandoned mine tailings brought by precipitation and the associated environmental impact

Abandoned tailings are one of the most important sources of heavy metal pollution in the areas surrounding mining districts, and significant leaching of heavy metals could be brought by precipitation. This study investigated the leaching of heavy metals from the tailings of a small-scale abandoned polymetallic mine in south China by rainwater with batch and column tests and evaluated the associated environmental impact. The mean contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in the un-weathered mine tailings were 1.46×102, 3.11×102, 4.10×103, 2.18×104, 2.82×102, 5.65×102, and 8.74×103mg/kg, respectively, and appreciable fractions of Cd, Zn, Cu, and Cr in the tailings were present in the acid soluble form. Batch and column leaching tests consistently showed that significant quantities of heavy metals could be released from the mine tailings. Based on the results of column leaching tests, it was estimated that the average fluxes of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb from the mine tailings at the studied mining district leached by precipitation were 3.20, 38.3, 12.5, 1.52×104, 104, 1.08, and 9.26g/ha/yr, respectively. The metal-rich tailing leachate would impact the quality of surface water and soils downhill of the mining district, and pose significant potential ecological risk to the farmland soils, which are irrigated by local surface water. These findings indicate the importance of tailings as a source of heavy metals in the mining districts of south China with heavy precipitation, as well as the need for mitigating the releases of heavy metals and the associated environmental impact from abandoned mine tailings.