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Spatial distribution of soil cadmium and its influencing factors in peri-urban farmland: a case study in the Jingyang District, Sichuan, China

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 189, Article number: 21 (2017) Cite this article

Abstract

Semi-agricultural ecosystems in peri-urban areas are susceptible to contamination. The spatial distribution and influencing factors of such pollution are unclear and poorly constrained in many areas worldwide. Therefore, studying the problems of soil pollution in peri-urban areas is critical for environmental management and agricultural production. In this paper, with cadmium (Cd) as the target pollutant, the spatiotemporal variations of soil cadmium pollution and the relative importance of the affecting factors were analyzed at a peri-urban area from the Jingyang District, Sichuan, China. Statistical results showed that the farmland in the study area could be considered moderately soil Cd-polluted, under the dual influence of natural factors and human activity. In particular, the soil Cd concentration in Tianyuan and Bajiaojing exceeded 0.5 mg kg−1, for intensive industrial enterprises are distributed in these areas. Correspondingly, the geoaccumulation index also showed that the contamination of Cd in this area was moderately polluted. Moreover, the ecological risk index was 80% in the study area, indicating that the soil Cd pollution potential risk was moderate to high. High geological background values (soil Cd = 0.29 mg kg−1), river migration, industrial enterprises, and traffic significantly influenced soil Cd pollution, with natural geological factors playing greater roles. The significant horizontal-spatial effective distances away from Shiting River, Deyang-Aba Highway, and chemical plants were 200, 400, and 100 m, respectively. These results will be useful in guiding farmland cultivation and pollution remediation effectively in the peri-urban areas.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Sichuan Agricultural University for providing access to their research facility and the Jingyang Agricultural Bureau of Sichuan Province for providing assistance in the field investigation. We are grateful to the National Science and Technology Support Plan (2012BAD14B18), the Science and Technology Support Plan of Sichuan Province (12ZC0017), the Major Project of Education Department in Sichuan (12ZA278), and the Foundation for Sichuan Academic and Technical Leader Reserve Candidate for financial support. Finally, we thank everyone who helped prepare this paper.

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Affiliations

  1. College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China

    Bing Li, Rui Xiao, Changquan Wang, Linhai Cao, Yi Zhang, Shunqiang Zheng & Lan Yang

  2. Jinyang Agricultural Bureau of Sichuan Province, Deyang, 643000, China

    Yong Guo

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  1. Bing Li
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  2. Rui Xiao
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  3. Changquan Wang
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  4. Linhai Cao
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  7. Lan Yang
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Correspondence to Changquan Wang.

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Li, B., Xiao, R., Wang, C. et al. Spatial distribution of soil cadmium and its influencing factors in peri-urban farmland: a case study in the Jingyang District, Sichuan, China. Environ Monit Assess 189, 21 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5744-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5744-y

Keywords

  • Soil cadmium
  • Spatial distribution
  • Influencing factors
  • Peri-urban area