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Health Risks of Metals in Contaminated Farmland Soils and Spring Wheat Irrigated with Yellow River Water in Baotou, China

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Abstract

The consumption of water and food crops contaminated with metals is a major food chain route for human exposure. We investigated the health risks of metals in Yellow River (YR) water, farmland soil and spring wheat in the Baotou region, northern China. Data indicated that long-term irrigation with polluted YR water led to metal accumulation in local farmland soil and spring wheat. The consumption of YR water and spring wheat in Baotou region can cause adverse health effects to local people, specifically because of Hg, Pb, and Se in YR water and Cu, Zn, Cd, and Mn in spring wheat. The integrative risk of various metals depends mainly on the spring wheat intake. Current results emphasized the need for routine monitoring and management in order to avoid contamination of YR water and spring wheat from the wastewater irrigation system in Baotou region.

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by the Special Funds of Public Welfare Industry Scientific Research of China (No. 201309005), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31460142), and the Innovation Fund of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology (No. 2011NCL013). The analyses were carried out in the Environmental Monitoring Stations of Baotou city.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Institute of Bioengineering and Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, China

    Wantong Si, Jumei Liu, Lu Cai, Haiming Jiang, Chunli Zheng, Xiaoying He, Jianying Wang & Xuefeng Zhang

  2. Key Laboratory of Integrated Exploitation of Bayan Obo Multi-Metal Resources, IMUST, Baotou, China

    Jianying Wang & Xuefeng Zhang

Authors
  1. Wantong Si
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  2. Jumei Liu
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  3. Lu Cai
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  4. Haiming Jiang
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  5. Chunli Zheng
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  6. Xiaoying He
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  7. Jianying Wang
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  8. Xuefeng Zhang
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Correspondence to Jianying Wang or Xuefeng Zhang.

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Si, W., Liu, J., Cai, L. et al. Health Risks of Metals in Contaminated Farmland Soils and Spring Wheat Irrigated with Yellow River Water in Baotou, China. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 94, 214–219 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1435-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1435-y

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