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Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in soils surrounding oil waste disposal areas

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 188, Article number: 125 (2016) Cite this article

Abstract

More attention is being devoted to heavy metal pollution because heavy metals can concentrate in higher animals through the food chain, harm human health and threaten the stability of the ecological environment. In this study, the effects of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Hg) emanating from oil waste disposal on surrounding soil in Jilin Province, China, were investigated. A potential ecological risk index was used to evaluate the damage of heavy metals and concluded that the degree of potential ecological damage of heavy metals can be ranked as follows: Hg > Cd > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cr > Zn. The average value of the potential ecological harm index (Ri) is 71.93, thereby indicating light pollution. In addition, this study researched the spatial distribution of soil heavy metals by means of ArcGIS (geographic information system) spatial analysis software. The results showed that the potential ecological risk index (R) of the large value was close to the distance from the oil waste disposal area; it is relatively between the degree of heavy metals in soil and the distance from the waste disposal area.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the Scientific Development Program of Jilin Province (No. 20130102039JC) and the Key Scientific Research Programs of Jilin Province (No. 20140204041SF).

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Affiliations

  1. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, 130117, Changchun, People’s Republic of China

    Jianling Xu, Hanxi Wang, Yuanyuan Liu, Mengchao Ma, Tian Zhang, Xiaoxue Zheng & Meihan Zong

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  1. Jianling Xu
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  2. Hanxi Wang
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  3. Yuanyuan Liu
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  4. Mengchao Ma
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  5. Tian Zhang
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  6. Xiaoxue Zheng
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Correspondence to Jianling Xu or Hanxi Wang.

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Xu, J., Wang, H., Liu, Y. et al. Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in soils surrounding oil waste disposal areas. Environ Monit Assess 188, 125 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5093-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5093-x

Keywords

  • Heavy metals
  • Oil waste
  • Ecological risk assessment
  • ArcGIS
  • Spatial distribution