Abstract
To systematically study the environmental problems of heavy metal pollution in soils caused by antimony (Sb) smeltery in central and southern China, the pollution levels, sources and risks of heavy metals were explored based on the GIS, pollution indices, multivariate statistical methods combined with positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, and risk assessment model. The results showed the average contents of Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, As, and Sb in soils were 0.06, 47.77, 2.88, 53.12, 21.22 and 20.53 mg/kg, respectively. Except for Hg and Cr, the contents of other metals all exceeded the background values of Hunan Mountain soil (BV). Spatial distribution of heavy metal contents and pollution indices (Igeo, PLI, and RI) indicated that above 50% of the studied area were polluted moderately by Cd and Sb, and 77% of sampling sites were under a severe ecological risk level. Multivariate statistics and PMF analysis suggested that Cd (76.9%) and As (57.7%) were mainly from agricultural activities, followed by Sb smelting (12.7% for Cd and 25% for As). The atmosphere deposition of transportation and industrial activities, antimony smelting and nature origin respectively contributed 40.6%, 20.5% and 30.7% of Hg in soils. Sb (73.9%) and Pb (54.5%) were from the Sb smelting, followed by the high geological background (35.6% for Pb and 25% for Sb). Cr (69.7%) was natural origin, but agricultural activities had 21.6% of contribution to its accumulation in soils. Significantly, the values of non-carcinogenic risk (HI) for children under three exposure pathways in different soil depths was bigger than 1 and exceeded the “acceptable level” of risk, and the total carcinogenic risks (TCR) for adults and children were exceeded 1 × 10–4 with an unacceptable carcinogenic risk for human body. Oral ingestion of As was the remarkable characteristic of risk, which should be paid attention to.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cao X, Zhang S, Tan C, Hu P, Cui X, Zhou T, Wu L, Luo Y (2015) Heavy metal contamination characteristics in soils around a nonferrous metal smelter in central southern China. Soils 47(1):94–99. https://doi.org/10.13758/j.cnki.tr2015.01.015
Chen F, Dong Z, Wang C, Wei X, Zhang L (2017) Heavy metal contamination of soils and crops near a Zinc smelter. Environ Sci 38:4360–4369. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.201704140
Chen HY, Teng YG, Lu SJ, Wang YY, Wang JS (2015) Contamination features and health risk of soil heavy metals in China. Sci Total Environ 512(513):143–153
Chen X, Cui Y (2010) Small-scale spatial distribution of heavy metals in urban topsoil: A case study in a small area near Shougang group. J Graduate School Chin Acad Sci 27:176–183
Dai B, Lv J, Zhan J, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Zhou R (2015) Assessment of sources, spatial distribution and ecological risk of heavy metals in soils in a typical industry-based city of Shandong Province, Eastern China. Environ Sci 36:507–515. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.2015.02.018
Deng X, Cai L, Yang Z, Yuan Y (2015) Study of the characteristics of heavy metal pollution at Pb/Zn smelting slag site. Ecol Environ Sci 24:1534–1539. https://doi.org/10.16258/j.cnki.1674-5906.2015.09.017
Deng Y, Jiang L, Xu L, Hao X, Zhang S, Xu M, Zhu P, Fu S, Liang Y, Yin H, Liu X, Bai L, Jiang H, Liu H (2019) Spatial distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in contaminated paddy fields: a case study in Xiangtan City, southern China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 171:281–289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.12.060
Gallagher MJ, Stone P, Kemp AES, Hills MG, Jones RC, Smith RT (1983) Strata bound arsenic and vein antimony mineralisation in Silurian greywackes at Glendinning, South Scotland. 59. Nottingham: Institute of Geological Sciences Mineral Reconnaissance Programmer
GB 15618–2018. Soil environmental quality-Risk control standard for soil contamination of agricultural land. Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 2019
Guan Q, Zhao R, Pan N, Wang F, Yang Y, Luo H (2019) Source apportionment of heavy metals in farmland soil of Wuwei, China: comparison of three receptor models. Clean Prod 237:117792. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144879
GB/T 17136-1997. Soil quality-Determination of total mercury-Cold atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Ministry of Environmental Protection
Guo X, Wang K, He M, Liu Z, Yang H, Li S (2014) Antimony smelting process generating solid wastes and dust: characterization and leaching behaviors. J Environ Sci 26:1549–1556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2014.05.022
Hakanson L (1980) An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control a sedimentological approach. Water Res 14(8):975–1001. https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(80)90143-8
HJ 491–2019. Soil and sediment-Determination of copper, zinc, lead, nickel and chromium-Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
HJ 680–2013. Soil and sediment-Determination of mercury, arsenic, selenium, bismuth, antimony-Microwave dissolution/Atomic Flurescense Spectrophotometry. Ministry of Environmental Protection.
HJ 25. 3–2014, Technical guidelines for risk assessment of contamination sites.
Huang X, Li Y, Jiao K, Sun P, Wang W (2016) Soil heavy metal spatial distribution and source analysis around an aluminum plant in Baotou. Environ Sci 37:1139–1146. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.2016.03.045
Huang Z, Deng R, Zhou S, Wang J (2020) Effects of mining activities on soil heavy metal pollution characteristics and ecological risk in antimony mining area. J Civ Environ Eng 42:194–202. https://doi.org/10.11835/j.issn.2096-6717.2020.041
Jin Q, Gao H, Yue B, Huang Q, Wang Y, Wu X, Yu J, Yang H (2018) Heavy metal content of rural living solid waste and related source and distribution analysis. Environ Sci 39(9):4385–4392. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.201712049
Kashefighasemabadi A, Karbassi A, Tabatabaee M, Dehabadi AM (2019) Development of soil pollution risk index in the vicinity of a waste dam in Chadormalu iron ore mine. Int J Environ Sci Technol 16:8485–8494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-019-02330-6
Khadidja B, Abdelhak B, Mohamed T (2021) Trace metals distribution and fractionation in soils around the abandoned “Ichomoul” Pb-Zn Mill-Mine, north-east of Algeria. Pollution 7(3):511–526. https://doi.org/10.22059/poll.2021.317521.1003
Li F, Fan Z, Xiao P, Oh K, Ma X, Wei H (2009) Contamination, chemical speciation and vertical distribution of heavy metals in soils of an old and large industrial zone in Northeast China. Environ Geol 57:1815–1823. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.201604222
Li J, Zheng B, He Y, Zhou Y, Chen X, Ruan S, Yang Y, Dai C, Tang L (2018) Antimony contamination, consequences and removal techniques: A review. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 156:125–134. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-991X.2014.05.066
Li J, Zheng C (1989) Manual data for environmental background value. China Environmental Science Press, Beijing
Li S, Zhao B, Jin M, Hu L, Zhong H, He Z (2020) A comprehensive survey on the horizontal and vertical distribution of heavy metals and microorganisms in soils of a Pb/Zn smelter. J Hazard Mater 400:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123255
Li X, Yang H, Zhang C, Zeng G, Liu Y, Xu W, Wu Y, Lan S (2017) Spatial distribution and transport characteristics of heavy metals around an antimony mine area in central China. Chemosphere 170:17–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.12.011
Liang J, Feng C, Zeng G, Gao X, Zhong M, Li X, Li X, He X, Fang Y (2017) Spatial distribution and source identification of heavy metals in surface soils in a typical coal mine city, Lianyuan, China. Environ Pollut 225:681–690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.03.057
Liu F, Tashpolat T, Ilyas N, Wang N, Yang C, Xia N, Gao Y (2016) Spatial distribution characteristics of heavy metal pollution and health risk in soil around the coal Industrial area of east Junggar basin. Environ Sci 37:4815–4829. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.201604222
Liu H, Zhang Y, Yang J, Wang H, Li Y, Shi Y, Li D, Holm PE, Ou Q, Hu W (2021) Quantitative source apportionment, risk assessment and distribution of heavy metals in agricultural soils from southern Shandong Peninsula of China. Sci Total Environ 767:144879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144879
Liu P, Ling Y, He J, Zhang X, Feng Y, Xu J (2009) Distribution characterization of Cu and Cd in surrounding agricultural soil of a waste dumping site at a copper smelter. J Agro-Environ Sci 28:1397–1403. https://doi.org/10.3321/j.issn:1672-2043.2009.07.012
Lv J, Wang Y (2019) PMF receptor models and sequential Gaussian simulation to determine the quantitative sources and hazardous areas of potentially toxic elements in soils. Geoderma 353:347–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.07.020
Maqbool A, Xiao X, Wang H, Bian Z, Akram MW (2019) Bioassessment of heavy metals in wheat crop from soil and dust in a coal mining area. Pollution 5(2):323–337. https://doi.org/10.22059/poll.2019.267256.528
Ministry of Environmental Protection, 2013a. Exposure Factors Handbook of Chinese Population (adults)
Mo C, Wu F, Fu Z, Zhu J, Ran L (2013) Antimony, arsenic and mercury pollution in agricultural soil of Sntimony mine area in Xikuangshan. Hunan Acta Mieralogica Sinica 33:344–350
Müller G (1969) Index of geoaccumulation in sediments of the Rhine River. Geol J 2:108–118
Park S, Boyanov M, Kemner K, O’Loughlin E, Kwon M (2021) Distribution and speciation of Sb and toxic metal(loid)s near an antimony refinery and their effects on indigenous microorganisms. J Hazard Mater 403:123625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123625
Qiao D, Wang G, Li X, Wang S, Zhao Y (2020) Pollution, sources and environmental risk assessment of heavy metals in the surface AMD water, sediments and surface soils around unexploited Rona Cu deposit, Tibet, China. Chemosphere 248:125988. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.125988
Rao Z, Huang D, Wu J, Zhu Q, Zhu H, Xu C, Xiong J, Wang H, Duan M (2018) Distribution and availability of cadmium in profile and aggregates of a paddy soil with 30-year fertilization and its impact on Cd accumulation in rice plant. Environ Pollut 239:198–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.04.024
Ran H, Gu Z, Yi L, Xiao X, Zhang L, Hu Z, Li C, Zhang Y (2021) Pollution characteristics and source identification of soil metal(loid)s at an abandoned arsenic-containing mine, China. J Hazard Mater 413:125382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125382
Rodríguez C, Quesada A (2006) Nickel biosorption by Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from industrial wastewater. Braz J Microbiol 37:465–467. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-83822006000400012
Shamsaddin H, Jafari A, Jalali V, Rainer S (2020) Spatial distribution of copper and other elements in the soils around the copper smelter in southeastern Iran. Atmos Pollut Res 11:1681–1691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2020.07.002
Sun L, Guo D, Liu K, Meng H, Zheng Y, Yuan F, Zhu G (2019) Levels, sources, and spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils from a typical coal industrial city of Tangshan. China Catena 175:101–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.12.014
Suresh G, Ramasamy V, Meenakshisundaram V, Venkatachalapathy R, Ponnusamy V (2011) Influence of mineralogical and heavy metal composition on natural radionuclide concentrations in the river sediments. Appl Radiat Isot 69:1466–1474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2011.05.020
Tao M, Zhou J, Liang J, Cui H, Xu L, Zhu Z (2014) Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals in farmland area around a copper smelter. J Agro-Environ Sci 33:1328–1334. https://doi.org/10.11654/jaes.2014.07.011
Tomlison D, Wilson J, Harris C, Jeffrey W (1980) Problems in the assessment of heavy-metal levels in estuaries and the formation of a pollution index. J Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen 33:1–4. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02414780
Tian H, Zhou J, Zhu C, Dan Z, Gao J, Hao J, He M, Liu K, Wang K, Hua S (2014) A comprehensive global inventory of atmospheric Antimony emissions from anthropogenic activities, 1995–2010. Environ Sci Technol 48:10235–10241. https://doi.org/10.1021/es405817u
United States, E.P.A, (USEPA), 2002. Supplemental Guidance for Developing Soil Screening Levels for Superfund Sites. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/health/conmedia/soil/pdfs/ssg_main.pdf. (Accessed 28 October 2020)
United States, E.P.A, (USEPA), 2015. Screening Levels for Chemical Contaminants. http://www.epa.gov/region9/superfund/prg/. (Accessed 28 October 2020)
US EPA, 1989. Risk assessment guidance for superfund, volume I: human health evaluation manual (Part A). Washington, DC: Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
US EPA, 2004. Risk assessment guidance for superfund, volume I: human health evaluation manual (Part E, Supplemental guidance from dermal risk assessment). Washington, DC: Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Wang Y, Li F, Wang X, Yang Z, Han K, Ruan X (2019) Spatial distribution and risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface farmland soil around a lead and zinc smelter. Environ Sci 40:437–444. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.201803031
Wang Y, Zhang B, Wang S, Zhong Y (2020) Temporal dynamics of heavy metal distribution and associated microbial community in ambient aerosols from vanadium smelter. Sci Total Environ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139360
Wu Q, Hu W, Wang H, Liu P, Wang X, Huang B (2021) Spatial distribution, ecological risk and sources of heavy metals in soils from a typical economic development area Southeastern China. Sci Total Environ 780:146557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146557
Wilding L (1985) Spatial variability: its documentation, accomodation and implication to soil surveys. In: Spatial S (ed) Nielsen DR, Bouma J. Wageningen, Variability Pudoc, pp 166–194
Xue J, Zhi Y, Yang L, Shi J, Zeng L, Wu L (2014) Positive matrix factorization as source apportionment of soil lead and cadmium around a battery plant (Changxing County, China). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 21:7698–7707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2726-x
Yan X, Zheng H, Zhao X, Yu Y, Zhong J (2020) Source identification and health risk assessment of soil heavy metal in the estuary of Northern Liaodong Bay China. Acta Sci Circum 40:3028–3039. https://doi.org/10.13671/j.hjkxxb.2020.0118
Xiang M, Zhang G, Li L, Wei X, Cai Y (2012) Characteristics of heavy metals in soil profile and pore water around Hechi antimony-lead smelter, Guangxi China. Environ Sci 33:266–272. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.2012.01.046
Xiong J, Han Z, Wu P, Zeng X, Luo G, Yang W (2020) Spatial distribution characteristics, contamination evaluation and health risk assessment of arsenic and antimony in soil around an antimony smelter of Dushan County. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiea. 40:655–664. https://doi.org/10.13671/j.hjkxxb.2019.0387
Zhao K, Zhang L, Dong J, Wu J, Ye Z, Zhao W, Ding L, Fu W (2020) Risk assessment, spatial patterns and source apportionment of soil heavy metals in a typical Chinese hickory plantation region of southeastern China. Geoderma 360:114011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.114011
Zhang L, Li H, Huang X, Li Y, Jiao K, Sun P, Wang W (2016) Soil heavy metal spatial distribution and source analysis around an aluminum plant in Baotou. Environ Sci 37(3):1139–1146. https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.2016.03.045
Funding
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41973078) and the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(2019JJ40081).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Qing Xie: Methodology, Writing—Original Draft, Investigation. Bozhi Ren: Conceptualization, Supervision. Xinping Deng: Writing—Review & Editing, Validation. Wei Yin and Yulong Lu: Software, Formal analysis.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest to this work. We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Xie, Q., Ren, B., Deng, X. et al. Quantitative source identification, risk assessment and pollution of heavy metals in soils around a typical Sb smelter in central and southern China. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 37, 2495–2511 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-023-02402-7
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-023-02402-7