Evaluation of heavy metal contamination of soil and the health risks in four potato-producing areas

Abstract

Areas polluted by heavy metals in soil may pose a major risk to human health and ecological environment safety. In this study, 89 soil samples were collected from four potato producing areas (Libo, Chishui, Panxian and Weining) in Guizhou Province, China, and the concentrations of 9 soil heavy metals were analyzed and measured. The aims of this study was to evaluate the human health risk and pollution index of heavy metals in the soil of some potato-producing areas in Guizhou Province by using the geoaccumulation index method, pollution load index method and health risk assessment method. The results revealed that Igeo<0 in Libo and Chishui, Igeo>0 in Panxian except Pb, The Igeo of As and Sb were less than 0 in Weining, and other elements were polluted to varying degrees. The pollution load index is Panxian (1.47) > Weining (1.39) > Libo (0.67), Chishui (0.67), Libo and Chishui were generally no polluted, soils in Panxian and Weining were polluted. The health risks of potatoes through food ingestion are less than 1. In terms of carcinogenesis, the risk of human in each study area through the ingestion was Cr > As > Cd. Cr and As would be produced certain carcinogenic risk to human through the dermal contact. Cr had a strong carcinogenic risk to adults through the inhalation. In terms of non-carcinogenesis, children in each study area had a strong risk under the each pathways. The risk of carcinogenesis in adults through inhalation pathway is greater than that in children, and the risk of carcinogenesis and non-carcinogenesis in children through Ingestion and dermal contact pathway is greater than adults. The results of this study suggest that attention should be paid to the remediation of heavy metals in contaminated soil to protect human health.

Bismuth Film along with dsDNA-Modified Electrode Surfaces as Promising (bio)Sensors in the Analysis of Heavy Metals in Soils

“…In their study, the naturally contaminated soil samples were found to have concentrations lower than the maximum permissible limits established by the European Union [ 41 ]. The metal values were much higher in the spiked soils, as these concentrations are hardly found in real life, even in mines, and would be a significant risk to people’s health [ 30 , 44 , 45 ]. However, the presented concentrations were selected to meet the requirements of investigating the limitations of the quantitative determination of metals using certain analytical techniques.…”

Validation of modified electrode surfaces as Sensitive Analytical Tools in Soil Analysis; Detection of Total Concentration of Zn (II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Cu(II)/Cu (I) along with Handling Complicated Sample Matrices

“…The soil samples of the study which were naturally contaminated, were found to have concentrations lower than the maximum permissible limits established by the European Union [39]. The metal values were much higher in the spiked soils, as these concentrations are hardly found in the real life, even in mines, and would be a significant risk to people's health [30,42,43]. Ηowever, the presented concentrations were selected to meet the requirements of the investigation into the limitations of metals' quantitative determination using certain analytical techniques.…”

Impacts of long-term irrigation with coalmine effluent contaminated water on trace metal contamination of topsoil and potato tubers in Dinajpur area, Bangladesh

“…Metals and metalloids are naturally available in the soil system, but careless human activities like unplanned effluent management and long-term irrigation with contaminated wastewaters are bound to fill up the trace metal bearing capacity of the soil, after which these trace elements find their way towards contaminating groundwater, surface water and eventually the plants and crops [ 53 , 54 ]. As the most popular vegetable, high trace metal accumulation in potatoes would pose a greater health risk because food chain contamination is one of the major routes for trace metals' entry into the human body [ 23 , 33 , 55 ]. The massive population of Bangladesh creates a huge food demand resulting in mostly year-round cultivation of available arable lands.…”