Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Bioaccessibility of Metals in Soils at Typical Legacy Industrial Sites: In Vitro Evaluation Using Physiologically-Based Extraction

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Risk assessment of soil metal pollution based on total metal contents might give overestimates by neglecting the bioaccessibility of the pollutants to soil biota. Physiologically-based extraction tests (PBET) are in vitro methods for evaluation of bioaccessibility of soil pollutants. A total of 27 soil samples collected from four types of legacy industrial site representing metal smelting, lead-acid battery factories, chemical plants and steel plants were analyzed for the bioaccessibility of six potentially toxic metals using a PBET method. The metal pollutants at the industrial sites depended on the former industrial processes and emissions. The highest proportions of gastric phase and intestinal phase in these soil samples were 43.9% for Cd and 27% for Cu, respectively. Factors affecting metal bioaccessibility included type of industry and soil properties. The soils at a lead-acid battery factory showed relatively high bioaccessibility of Pb, Zn and Cd and those at the steel plant showed relatively low metal bioaccessibility. Soil organic matter and clay contents were positively related to metal bioaccessibility but soil pH and CEC showed negative relationships. Further studies are recommended to determine the speciation of the bioaccessible metals in these soils.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander M (2000) Aging, bioavailability, and overestimation of risk from environmental pollutants. Environ Sci Technol 34:4259–4265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cao X et al (2019) Distribution, availability and translocation of heavy metals in soil-oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) system related to soil properties. Environ Pollut 252:733–741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L et al (2012) Lead exposure assessment from study near a lead-acid battery factory in China. Sci Total Environ 429:191–198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ciesielski H, Sterckeman T, Santerne M, Willery JP (1997) A comparison between three methods for the determination of cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations in soils. Agronomie 17:9–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin ZF, Zhang ZJ, Zhang H, Liu CQ, Li FL (2015) Assessment of lead bioaccessibility in soils around lead battery plants in East China. Chemosphere 119:1247–1254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kosheleva NE, Vlasov DV, Korlyakov ID (2018) Contamination of urban soils with heavy metals in Moscow as affected by building development. Sci Total Environ 636:854–863

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Zhang MK (2013) A comparison of physiologically based extraction test (PBET) and single-extraction methods for release of Cu, Zn, and Pb from mildly acidic and alkali soils. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20:3140–3148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Sun H, Juhasz AL, Cui X, Ma LQ (2016) Predicting the relative bioavailability of DDT and its metabolites in historically contaminated soils using a Tenax-improved physiologically based extraction test (TI-PBET). Environ Sci Technol 50(3):1118–1125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin W, Xiao T, Zhou W, Ning Z (2015) Pb, Zn, and Cd distribution and migration at a historical zinc smelting site. Pol J Environ Stud 24(2):575–583

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo Y, Jiang X, Wu L, Song J, Wu S, Lu R, Christie P (2003) Accumulation and chemical fractionation of Cu in a paddy soil irrigated with Cu-rich wastewater. Geoderma 115:113–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo XS, Yu S, Li XD (2012) The mobility, bioavailability, and human bioaccessibility of trace metals in urban soils of Hong Kong. Appl Geochem 27:995–1004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morrison AL, Gulson BL (2007) Preliminary findings of chemistry and bioaccessibility in base metal smelter slags. Sci Total Environ 382:30–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Poggio L, Vrščaj B, Schulin R (2009) Metals pollution and human bioaccessibility of topsoils in Grugliasco (Italy). Environ Pollut 157:680–689

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues SM, Cruz N, Carvalho L, Duarte AC, Pereira E, Boim AGF, Alleoni LRF, Römkens PFAM (2018) Evaluation of a single extraction test to estimate the human oral bioaccessibility of potentially toxic elements in soils: towards more robust risk assessment. Sci Total Environ 635:188–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruby MV, Davis A, Schoof R (1996) Estimation of lead and arsenic bioavailability using a physiologically based extraction test. Environ Sci Technol 30:422–430

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh R, Singh S, Parihar P, Singh VP, Prasad SM (2015) Arsenic contamination, consequences and remediation techniques: a review. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 112:247–270

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Li H, Guo G, Semple KT, Jones KC (2019) Soil contamination in China: Current priorities, defining background levels and standards for heavy metals. J Environ Manag 251:109512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun L, Ng JC, Tang W, Zhang H, Zhao Y, Shu L (2021) Assessment of human health risk due to lead in urban park soils using in vitro methods. Chemosphere 269:128714

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turner A, Ip KH (2007) Bioaccessibility of metals in dust from the indoor environment: application of a physiologically based extraction test. Environ Sci Technol 41:7851–7856

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vega FA, Andrade ML, Covelo EF (2010) Influence of soil properties on the sorption and retention of cadmium, copper and lead, separately and together, by 20 soil horizons: comparison of linear regression and tree regression analyses. J Hazard Mater 174:522–533

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao Q, Zong Y, Lu S (2015) Assessment of heavy metal pollution and human health risk in urban soils of steel industrial city (Anshan), Liaoning, Northeast China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 120:377–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xing WQ, Yang H, Ippolito JA, Zhang YQ, Scheckel KG, Li LP (2020) Lead source and bioaccessibility in windowsill dusts within a Pb smelting-affected area. Environ Pollut 266:115110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang K, Cattle SR (2015) Bioaccessibility of lead in urban soil of Broken Hill, Australia: a study based on in vitro digestion and the IEUBK model. Sci Total Environ 538:922–933

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang J-K, Barnett MO, Jardine PM, Basta NT, Casteel SW (2002) Adsorption, sequestration, and bioaccessibility of As(V) in soils. Environ Sci Technol 36:4562–4569

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang JY, Yang XE, He ZL, Li TQ, Shentu JL, Stoffella PJ (2006) Effects of pH, organic acids, and inorganic ions on lead desorption from soils. Environ Pollut 143:9–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2018YFC1801001), the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, CAS (No. QYZDJ-SSW-DQC015) and Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University Research Fund (2017FR021). We also appreciated Peter Christie from Institute of Soil Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences for his contribution to the language polish of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation, School of Environment and Resources, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, 311300, China

    Xiaoyu Xia, Lu Xiang, Yazhi Tong, Fanglei Shao, Baochen Li, Yefang Sun & Haibo Zhang

Authors
  1. Xiaoyu Xia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lu Xiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yazhi Tong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fanglei Shao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Baochen Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yefang Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Haibo Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haibo Zhang.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xia, X., Xiang, L., Tong, Y. et al. Bioaccessibility of Metals in Soils at Typical Legacy Industrial Sites: In Vitro Evaluation Using Physiologically-Based Extraction. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 109, 578–584 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-022-03468-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-022-03468-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation