An Integrated Approach for Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Subtropical Agricultural Soils, Eastern China
Unreasonable human activities may cause the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in the agricultural soil, which will ultimately threaten the quality of soil environment, the safety of agricultural products, and human health. Therefore, the accumulation characteristics, potential sources, and health r...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-09-01
|
Series: | Land |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/10/1016 |
_version_ | 1797514093172621312 |
---|---|
author | Ping Li Tao Wu Guojun Jiang Lijie Pu Yan Li Jianzhen Zhang Fei Xu Xuefeng Xie |
author_facet | Ping Li Tao Wu Guojun Jiang Lijie Pu Yan Li Jianzhen Zhang Fei Xu Xuefeng Xie |
author_sort | Ping Li |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Unreasonable human activities may cause the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in the agricultural soil, which will ultimately threaten the quality of soil environment, the safety of agricultural products, and human health. Therefore, the accumulation characteristics, potential sources, and health risks of HMs in agricultural soils in China’s subtropical regions were investigated. The mean Hg, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd concentrations of agricultural soil in Jinhua City have exceeded the corresponding background values of Zhejiang Province, while the mean concentrations of determined 8 HMs were less than their corresponding risk-screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land in China. The spatial distribution of As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb were generally distributed in large patches, and Hg, Zn, and Cd were generally sporadically distributed. A positive definite matrix factor analysis (PMF) model had better performance than an absolute principal component–multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model in the identification of major sources of soil HMs, as it revealed higher R<sup>2</sup> value (0.81–0.99) and lower prediction error (−0.93–0.25%). The noncarcinogenic risks (HI) of the 8 HMs to adults and children were within the acceptable range, while the carcinogenic risk (RI) of children has exceeded the safety threshold, which needs to be addressed by relevant departments. The PMF based human health risk assessment model indicated that industrial sources contributed the highest risk to HI (32.92% and 30.47%) and RI (60.74% and 61.5%) for adults and children, followed by agricultural sources (21.34%, 29.31% and 32.94% 33.19%). Therefore, integrated environmental management should be implemented to control and reduce the accumulation of soil HMs from agricultural and industrial sources. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:26:45Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-3dd25bceea0342c3b9e624411bdd688b |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2073-445X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:26:45Z |
publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Land |
spelling | doaj.art-3dd25bceea0342c3b9e624411bdd688b2023-11-22T18:50:19ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2021-09-011010101610.3390/land10101016An Integrated Approach for Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Subtropical Agricultural Soils, Eastern ChinaPing Li0Tao Wu1Guojun Jiang2Lijie Pu3Yan Li4Jianzhen Zhang5Fei Xu6Xuefeng Xie7College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaSchool of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaCo-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaInstitute of Land and Urban-Rural Development, Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, ChinaUnreasonable human activities may cause the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in the agricultural soil, which will ultimately threaten the quality of soil environment, the safety of agricultural products, and human health. Therefore, the accumulation characteristics, potential sources, and health risks of HMs in agricultural soils in China’s subtropical regions were investigated. The mean Hg, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd concentrations of agricultural soil in Jinhua City have exceeded the corresponding background values of Zhejiang Province, while the mean concentrations of determined 8 HMs were less than their corresponding risk-screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land in China. The spatial distribution of As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb were generally distributed in large patches, and Hg, Zn, and Cd were generally sporadically distributed. A positive definite matrix factor analysis (PMF) model had better performance than an absolute principal component–multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model in the identification of major sources of soil HMs, as it revealed higher R<sup>2</sup> value (0.81–0.99) and lower prediction error (−0.93–0.25%). The noncarcinogenic risks (HI) of the 8 HMs to adults and children were within the acceptable range, while the carcinogenic risk (RI) of children has exceeded the safety threshold, which needs to be addressed by relevant departments. The PMF based human health risk assessment model indicated that industrial sources contributed the highest risk to HI (32.92% and 30.47%) and RI (60.74% and 61.5%) for adults and children, followed by agricultural sources (21.34%, 29.31% and 32.94% 33.19%). Therefore, integrated environmental management should be implemented to control and reduce the accumulation of soil HMs from agricultural and industrial sources.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/10/1016soil heavy metalspositive definite matrix factor analysisabsolute principal component–multiple linear regressionhealth risk assessment |
spellingShingle | Ping Li Tao Wu Guojun Jiang Lijie Pu Yan Li Jianzhen Zhang Fei Xu Xuefeng Xie An Integrated Approach for Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Subtropical Agricultural Soils, Eastern China Land soil heavy metals positive definite matrix factor analysis absolute principal component–multiple linear regression health risk assessment |
title | An Integrated Approach for Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Subtropical Agricultural Soils, Eastern China |
title_full | An Integrated Approach for Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Subtropical Agricultural Soils, Eastern China |
title_fullStr | An Integrated Approach for Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Subtropical Agricultural Soils, Eastern China |
title_full_unstemmed | An Integrated Approach for Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Subtropical Agricultural Soils, Eastern China |
title_short | An Integrated Approach for Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Subtropical Agricultural Soils, Eastern China |
title_sort | integrated approach for source apportionment and health risk assessment of heavy metals in subtropical agricultural soils eastern china |
topic | soil heavy metals positive definite matrix factor analysis absolute principal component–multiple linear regression health risk assessment |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/10/1016 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT pingli anintegratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT taowu anintegratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT guojunjiang anintegratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT lijiepu anintegratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT yanli anintegratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT jianzhenzhang anintegratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT feixu anintegratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT xuefengxie anintegratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT pingli integratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT taowu integratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT guojunjiang integratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT lijiepu integratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT yanli integratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT jianzhenzhang integratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT feixu integratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina AT xuefengxie integratedapproachforsourceapportionmentandhealthriskassessmentofheavymetalsinsubtropicalagriculturalsoilseasternchina |