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Arsenic, copper, and zinc contamination in soil and wheat during coal mining, with assessment of health risks for the inhabitants of Huaibei, China

  • Contaminated Land, Ecological Assessment and Remediation Conference Series (CLEAR 2012) : Environmental Pollution and Risk Assessments
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Abstract

Field studies were conducted to investigate arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) contamination in agricultural soils and wheat crops at two areas in Huaibei, China. Area A is in the proximity of Shuoli coal mine. In area B, three coal mines and a coal cleaning plant were distributed. The potential health risk of As, Cu, and Zn exposure to the local inhabitants through consumption of wheat grains was also estimated. The results showed that significantly higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of As, Cu, and Zn were found in soils collected from area B than in those from area A. Arsenic concentrations in wheat sampled from area A were negatively correlated with the distance from the coal mine (p < 0.001). Concentrations of Cu and Zn in wheat seedlings and grains collected from area B were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in those collected from area A, with the exception of Zn in wheat seedlings. Concentrations of Cu and Zn in most wheat grain samples were above the permissible limits of Cu and Zn in edible plants set by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. The hazard index of aggregate risk through consumption of wheat grains was 2.3–2.4 for rural inhabitants and 1.4–1.5 for urban inhabitants. The average intake of inorganic As for rural inhabitants in Huaibei was above 10 μg day−1. These findings indicated that the inhabitants around the coal mine are experiencing a significant potential health risk due to the consumption of locally grown wheat.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Ms. L. Yang and Ms. C. H. Zhang for providing the technical assistance during the digestion and analysis of As, Cu, and Zn in soil and wheat samples. Financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41201524 and 40971296), the Doctoral Program Foundation of Institutions of Higher Education of China (200900971200038), and the Science and Technology Innovation Fund for the Youth of Nanjing Agricultural University (KJ09018) are gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China, 210095

    Gao Ling Shi, Lai Qing Lou, Shuai Zhang, Xue Wei Xia & Qing Sheng Cai

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  1. Gao Ling Shi
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Shi, G.L., Lou, L.Q., Zhang, S. et al. Arsenic, copper, and zinc contamination in soil and wheat during coal mining, with assessment of health risks for the inhabitants of Huaibei, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 8435–8445 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1842-3

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