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. 2016 Aug 19;13(8):832.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph13080832.

The Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Soils in the Vicinity of Industrial Sites in Dongguan, China

Chao Liu  1   2 , Liwen Lu  3   4 , Ting Huang  5 , Yalin Huang  6   7 , Lei Ding  8   9 , Weituo Zhao  10
Affiliations

The Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Soils in the Vicinity of Industrial Sites in Dongguan, China

Chao Liu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Exponential industrialization and rapid urbanization have resulted in contamination of soil by metals from anthropogenic sources in Dongguan, China. The aims of this research were to determine the concentration and distribution of various metals (arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)) in soils and identify their potential health risks for local residents. A total of 106 soil samples were collected from the vicinity of industrial sites in Dongguan. Two types of samples were collected from each site: topsoil (0-20 cm, TS) and shallow soil (20-50 cm, SS). Results showed that the soils were contaminated by metals and pollution was mainly focused on TS. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and pollution indexes (PI) implied that there was a slight increase in the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Pb, but the metal pollution caused by industrial activities was less severe, and elements of As and Cr exhibited non-pollution level. The risk assessment results suggested that there was a potential health risk associated with As and Cr exposure for residents because the carcinogenic risks of As and Cr via corresponding exposure pathways exceeded the safety limit of 10(-6) (the acceptable level of carcinogenic risk for humans). Furthermore, oral ingestion and inhalation of soil particles are the main exposure pathways for As and Cr to enter the human body. This study may provide basic information of metal pollution control and human health protection in the vicinity of industrial regions.

Keywords: contaminated soil; geoaccumulation index; human exposure; metal; pollution indexes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The location of the study area and distribution of sampling sites.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Heavy metal concentrations of soil from the vicinity of industrial sites in Dongguan. TS: topsoils of 0–20 cm, SS: shallow soils of 20–50 cm. The circle symbols (○) represent outliers (mild outliers), and the cross symbols (*) represent extremes (extreme outliers). The horizontal lines at the top, middle and bottom of the box plot correspond to the 75th percentile, median and 25th percentile, respectively.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Box plot of Igeo for heavy metals in topsoils around industrial sites in Dongguan. The circles represent outliers (mild outliers), and the stars represent extremes (extreme outliers). The horizontal lines at the top, middle and bottom of the box plot correspond to the 75th percentile, median and 25th percentile, respectively.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The mean pollution index (PI) of heavy metals in topsoils in different towns of Dongguan.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Carcinogenic risks of heavy metals in topsoils around industrial sites in Dongguan.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Non-carcinogenic risks of heavy metals in topsoils around industrial sites in Dongguan.
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