Contamination, Spatial Distribution and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Surface Soil of Anhui Chaohu Economic Development Zone, China

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities may result in the accumulation of heavy metals in the soil, especially in economic development zones with frequent industrial activities. Therefore, the investigation and assessment of soil heavy metal pollution in economic development zones is one of the important measures for soil environmental management and sustainable development. This study used Nemero evaluation, Kriging interpolation, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis to investigate the contamination degree, spatial distribution, and origin of heavy metal in Anhui Chaohu Economic Development Zone (ACED), Anhui, East China. The result showed that different land use types can cause different levels and types of soil heavy metal pollution. The maximum concentrations of heavy metals in the study area all exceeded their background value but did not exceed the guide values. The highest average concentrations were found in Zn, followed by Cr and Ni. The concentrations of As in soils have the largest coefficient of variation (CV) at 38%. The concentration of heavy metals in different functional areas was varied, the areas with higher Ni, As, Cd, Zn, and Cr concentrations were mainly distributed in Hot Springs Resort (HSR), the relatively higher concentrations of Pb, Hg, and Cu were mainly distributed in Integrated Zone (IZ), while all heavy metal (except for Ni) have relatively higher content in the surface soil of Huashan Industrial Zone (HIZ). Origin analysis showed that soil As, Cd, and Zn in HSR surface soil were predominantly influenced by agricultural activities, while Ni and Cr were mainly controlled by parent material. Pb and Hg in IZ surface soil were predominantly originated from the vehicle and domestic exhaust, and Cu was mainly controlled by industrial pollutants. Industrial activity was the main source of soil heavy metals in HIZ. Although heavy metal in ACED surface soil did not reach pollution levels, the concentration of Cd, Hg, Pb, and Cu was significantly affected by anthropogenic activities, especially in HIZ, which the necessary attention of heavy metals needs to be given.

Spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements in e-waste contaminated site at Akwatia-Line, Kumasi, Ghana

“…Some informal economic activities release PTE that pollute environmental matrices like soil and endanger human health [ 16 ]. The possibility of diverse concentrations and characteristic spatial distribution of PTE is related to different sources of soil PTE pollution in such areas [ 17 ]. Investigating PTE in the soil at highly dense and commercial zones has become essential since such sites have several metal extraction enterprises, residential areas, and roads; thus, the pollution of soil by PTE in Akwatia-Line cannot be ignored.…”

Spatial–temporal variation and source analysis of heavy metals in different land use types in Beilun District (2015 and 2022)

“…Yang et al and Li et al analyzed the spatial distribution and change trend of heavy metals in Wuhan city and Changxing County by using the kriging spatial interpolation method 33 , 34 . The multivariate geostatistical method is also an effective way to differentiate the characteristics of soil heavy metal contamination and identify its sources 35 , 36 . There is no systematic and complete source analysis method.…”

Risk Assessment and Spatial Distribution of Heavy Metals with an Emphasis on Antimony (Sb) in Urban Soil in Bojnourd, Iran

“…Many studies have effectively assessed the human health risk posed by HMs in polluted soils using the USEPA approach, including those conducted in Poland [17], China [18], Chad, Africa [19], India [20], Turkey [21] and Brazil [22]. In addition, spatial distribution and heterogeneity of pollution status can also be assessed in great detail when these data are integrated with geographic information system technology (GIS) [23,24]. Considering this, there has been a wide variety of studies that have utilized both deterministic and geostatistical interpolation methods to determine soil HM spatial distributions.…”