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Source-based health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in soil: a case study from a polymetallic mining region in Southeastern Hubei, Central China

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Abstract

To conduct a precise health risk assessment of heavy metals (HMs) in soil, it is imperative to ascertain the primary sources of potential health risks. In this study, we conducted comprehensive measurements of HMs, specifically focusing on the accumulation of Cu, Cd, Sb, Zn, and Pb in local soil, which may pose threats to environmental quality. To achieve our objective, we employed a method that combines positive matrix factorization with a health risk assessment model to quantify the health risks associated with specific sources. The results obtained from the geo-accumulation index indicate that the majority of HMs found in the local soil are influenced by anthropogenic activities. Among these sources, local industrial-related activities contributed the largest proportion of HMs to the soil at 34.7%, followed by natural sources at 28.7%, mining and metallurgy-related activities at 28.2%, and traffic-related activities at 8.40%. Although the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with individual HMs were found to be below safety thresholds, the cumulative health risks stemming from total HMs exceeded safety limits for children. Moreover, the unacceptable health risks for children originating from industrial-related activities, natural sources, and mining and metallurgy-related activities were primarily concentrated in proximity to mining sites and industrial areas within the local region. This investigation furnishes valuable insights that can aid governmental authorities in formulating precise control policies to mitigate health threats posed by soils in polymetallic mining areas.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Provincial Natural Science Foundation Innovation and Development Joint Fund Project of Hubei (2022CFD049) and, the Science and Technology project of Hubei Geological Bureau (KJ2023-22).

Special recognition is extended to Prof. Zhaohui Luo for his invaluable guidance and supervision during the geological background investigation. Additionally, we wish to convey our special thanks to Ms. Zirong Xiao, Ms. Xinyi Xu, and Mr. Yazhe Zhang for their crucial assistance in conducting the chemical analysis. Their contributions have played a pivotal role in the successful completion of this research.

We are also deeply appreciative of the invaluable contributions made by individuals and organizations that have supported this study in various capacities. Their collective efforts have been instrumental in enabling us to acquire valuable insights into the source-oriented health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil from the polymetallic mining area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, 435003, China

    Yanni Li, Shan Liu, Changlin Zhan, Hongxia Liu, Jiaquan Zhang & Jianlin Guo

  2. Hubei Key Laboratory of Mine Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, 435003, China

    Yanni Li, Shan Liu, Changlin Zhan, Hongxia Liu, Jiaquan Zhang & Jianlin Guo

  3. The First Geological Brigade of Hubei Geological Bureau, Research Center of Ecological Environment Restoration and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Huangshi, 435000, China

    Lihu Fang & Yanan Wang

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  1. Yanni Li
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  2. Shan Liu
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  3. Changlin Zhan
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  4. Hongxia Liu
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  7. Lihu Fang
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Contributions

Y.L. wrote the main manuscript. S.L. done the review and editing. C.Z. and J.Z. finished the investigation. H.L. and J.G. finished chemical analysis. L.F. and Y.W. provided resources and funding. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Shan Liu.

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Li, Y., Liu, S., Zhan, C. et al. Source-based health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in soil: a case study from a polymetallic mining region in Southeastern Hubei, Central China. Environ Geochem Health 46, 12 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01804-4

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