Abstract
Rice is the main food in China, and its pollution by heavy metals has attracted widespread attention. In this study, rice grain samples were collected from 14 prefecture-level cities in Hunan Province, China. The contents of 9 heavy metals (i.e., As, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Sb) were measured using graphite digestion-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis were performed to evaluate the correlation among these heavy metals. In addition, ordinary kriging interpolation were applied to investigate the spatial distribution pattern of the heavy metals. Results showed that the average concentrations of these heavy metals were 0.48 (As), 1.28 (Cr), 0.03 (Co), 0.84 (Ni), 2.39 (Cu), 15.73 (Zn), 0.28 (Cd), 0.66 (Pb), and 0.0043 (Sb) mg/kg, respectively. The single-factor pollution index (SFPI) contamination assessment showed that As, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Cd accumulated significantly in the rice grain, with over-standard rates of 100%, 100%, 64.70%, 47.05%, and 44.12%, respectively. The Sb concentrations at the sampling sites were low, and there was no obvious pollution. Health risk assessment showed that the target hazard quotient followed the order of As> Cr> Cd> Pb> 1.0> Co> Cu> Zn> Ni> Sb, and the carcinogenic risk value was in the order of Cd> Ni> As> Cr> 1.0×10-4> Pb. In particular, quick actions should be taken to regulate As, Cr, and Cd contents in rice because they posed greater non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks than the others to the local residents.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agricultural in china, 2020. Available at: http://www.agdata.cn/newsdata/getagdatanewsdetails-733.html
Cai LM, Xu ZC, Qi JY, Feng ZZ, Xiang TS (2015) Assessment of exposure to heavy metals and health risks among residents near Tonglushan mine in Hubei, China. Chemosphere 127:127–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.01.027
Chai L, Li H, Yang Z, Min X, Liao Q, Liu Y, Men S, Yan Y, Xu J (2017) Heavy metals and metalloids in the surface sediments of the Xiangjiang River, Hunan, China: distribution, contamination, and ecological risk assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 24(1):874–885. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7872-x
China Geol Survey, 2021. Available at: https://geocloud.cgs.gov.cn/
Chandra R, Kumar V, Tripathi S, Sharma P (2018) Heavy metal phytoextraction potential of native weeds and grasses from endocrine-disrupting chemicals rich complex distillery sludge and their histological observations during in-situ phytoremediation. Ecol Eng 111:143–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2017.12.007
Dai W, Zhao K, Fu W, Jiang P, Li Y, Zhang C, Gielen G, Gong X, Li Y, Wang H, Wu J (2018) Spatial variation of organic carbon density in topsoils of a typical subtropical forest, southeastern China. Catena 167:181–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.04.040
Du F, Yang Z, Liu P, Wang L (2018) Accumulation, translocation, and assessment of heavy metals in the soil-rice systems near a mine-impacted region. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25(32):32221–32230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3184-7
Fan Y, Zhu T, Li M, He J, Huang R (2017) Heavy metal contamination in soil and brown rice and human health risk assessment near three mining areas in central China. J Healthc Eng 2017:4124302. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4124302
Fei X, Lou Z, Christakos G, Ren Z, Liu Q, Lv X (2018) The association between heavy metal soil pollution and stomach cancer: a case study in Hangzhou City, China. Environ Geochem Health 40(6):2481–2490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0113-0
Fu Z, Wu F, Mo C, Deng Q, Meng W, Giesy JP (2016) Comparison of arsenic and antimony biogeochemical behavior in water, soil and tailings from Xikuangshan, China. Sci Total Environ 539:97–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.146
Gao Z, Fu W, Zhang M, Zhao K, Tunney H, Guan Y (2016) Potentially hazardous metals contamination in soil-rice system and it’s spatial variation in Shengzhou City, China. J Geochem Explor 167:62–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2016.05.006
Hunan Provincial Government. 2020. Hunan province in China., Available at: http://www.hunan.gov.cn/hnszf/jxxx/hngk/zrdl/zrdl.html
Hunan Statistical Yearbook., 2021.Hunan Provincial Bureau of Statistics. Available at: http://222.240.193.190/2021tjnj/indexch.htm
He M (2007) Distribution and phytoavailability of antimony at an antimony mining and smelting area, Hunan, China. Environ Geochem Health 29(3):209–219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-006-9066-9
He M, Wang X, Wu F, Fu Z (2012) Antimony pollution in China. Sci Total Environ 421-422:41–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.06.009
Hu B, Jia X, Hu J, Xu D, Xia F, Li Y (2017) Assessment of heavy metal pollution and health risks in the soil-plant-human system in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(9):1042. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14091042
Jia X, Fu T, Hu B, Shi Z, Zhou L, Zhu Y (2020) Identification of the potential risk areas for soil heavy metal pollution based on the source-sink theory. J Hazard Mater 393:122424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122424
Kiani B, Hashemi Amin F, Bagheri N, Bergquist R, Mohammadi AA (2021) Yousefi, Association between heavy metals and colon cancer: an ecological study based on geographical information systems in North-Eastern Iran. BMC Cancer 21(1):414. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-021-08148-1
Kukusamude C, Sricharoen P, Limchoowong N, Kongsri S (2021) Heavy metals and probabilistic risk assessment via rice consumption in Thailand. Food Chem 334:127402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127402
Lei M, Tie B-q, Song Z-g, Liao B-H, Lepo JE, Huang Y-z (2015) Heavy metal pollution and potential health risk assessment of white rice around mine areas in Hunan Province, China. Food Sec 7(1):45–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-014-0414-9
Li C, Sun G, Wu Z, Zhong H, Wang R, Liu X, Guo Z, Cheng J (2019) Soil physiochemical properties and landscape patterns control trace metal contamination at the urban-rural interface in southern China. Environ Pollut 250:537–545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.065
Li C, Wang J, Liao X-z, Xu K-k, Zou Y-h, Xiao H-f, Shi Z-h, Cao S-y, Guo J, Wang S-y, Li N, Yan S-p (2021) Trend of incidence and mortality of lung cancer in Hunan cancer registration areas from 2013 to 2017. China. Cancer 30(11):841–847. https://doi.org/10.11735/j.issn.1004-0242.2021.11.A007
Li Q, Chen Y, Fu H, Cui Z, Shi L, Wang L, Liu Z (2012) Health risk of heavy metals in food crops grown on reclaimed tidal flat soil in the Pearl River Estuary, China. J Hazard Mater 227-228:148–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.05.023
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
Long J, Tan D, Deng S, Li B, Ding D, Lei M (2019) Antimony accumulation and iron plaque formation at different growth stages of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Environ Pollut 249:414–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.03.042
Lu Q, Xiao Q, Wang Y, Wen H, Han B, Zheng X, Lin R (2021) Risk assessment and hotspots identification of heavy metals in rice: a case study in Longyan of Fujian province, China. Chemosphere 270:128626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128626
Ma L, Wang L, Jia Y, Yang Z (2016) Arsenic speciation in locally grown rice grains from Hunan Province, China: spatial distribution and potential health risk. Sci Total Environ 557-558:438–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.051
Ma L, Wang L, Tang J, Yang Z (2017) Arsenic speciation and heavy metal distribution in polished rice grown in Guangdong Province, Southern China. Food Chem 233:110–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.04.097
Meng B, Feng X, Qiu G, Anderson CW, Wang J, Zhao L (2014) Localization and speciation of mercury in brown rice with implications for pan-Asian public health. Environ Sci Technol 48(14):7974–7981. https://doi.org/10.1021/es502000d
Mao C, Song Y, Chen L, Ji J, Li J, Yuan X, Yang Z, Ayoko GA, Frost RL, Theiss F (2019) Human health risks of heavy metals in paddy rice based on transfer characteristics of heavy metals from soil to rice. Catena 175:339–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.12.029
Montserrat F, Nelson B, Yu W (2002) Antimony in the environment: a review focused on natural waters I. Occurrence. Earth-Sci Rev 57:125–176
N. T. Basta, J.A.R., and R. L. Chaney, 2005. Trace element chemistry in residual-treated soil: key concepts and metal bioavailability. J Environ Qual 34(1), 49-63. DOI https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2005.0049dup
National Earth System Science Data Center, n.d. National Science & Technology Infrastructure of China. Available at:(http://www.geodata.cn)
NHC, 2017. National Food Safety Standards Limits of Contaminants in Food (GB2762—2017). National Health Commission of the PRC, Beijing, China. Available at:https://sppt.cfsa.net.cn:8086/db
Okkenhaug G, Zhu YG, He J, Li X, Luo L, Mulder J (2012) Antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) in Sb mining impacted paddy soil from Xikuangshan, China: differences in mechanisms controlling soil sequestration and uptake in rice. Environ Sci Technol 46:3155–3162. https://doi.org/10.1021/es2022472
Pierart A, Shahid M, Sejalon-Delmas N, Dumat C (2015) Antimony bioavailability: knowledge and research perspectives for sustainable agricultures. J Hazard Mater 289:219–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.02.011
PHMSO. n.d. Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance of Hong Kong. Available at:https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap132!en
Qian Y, Chen C, Zhang Q, Li Y, Chen Z, Li M (2010) Concentrations of cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in Chinese market milled rice and associated population health risk. Food Control 21(12):1757–1763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2010.08.005
Ren JH, Ma LQ, Sun HJ, Cai F, Luo J (2014) Antimony uptake, translocation and speciation in rice plants exposed to antimonite and antimonate. Sci Total Environ 475:83–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.12.103
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
Tan SY, Praveena SM, Abidin EZ, Cheema MS (2016) A review of heavy metals in indoor dust and its human health-risk implications. Rev Environ Health 31(4):447–456. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2016-0026
USEPA., 2006. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Assessments. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA. Available at: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/irisdrafts/AtoZ.cfm
Vatanpour N, Feizy J, Hedayati Talouki H, Es'haghi Z, Scesi L, Malvandi AM (2020) The high levels of heavy metal accumulation in cultivated rice from the Tajan river basin: health and ecological risk assessment. Chemosphere 245:125639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125639
Wan M, Hu W, Wang H, Tian K, Huang B (2021) Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal risk in soil-crop systems along the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Southeast China. Sci Total Environ 780:146567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146567
Wang L, Ma L, Yang Z (2017) Spatial variation and risk assessment of heavy metals in paddy rice from Hunan Province, Southern China. Int J Environ Sci Technol 15(7):1561–1572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-017-1504-y
Wang Y, Yang L, Kong L, Liu E, Wang L, Zhu J (2015) Spatial distribution, ecological risk assessment and source identification for heavy metals in surface sediments from Dongping Lake, Shandong, East China. Catena 125:200–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2014.10.023
Wang M, Chen W, Peng C (2016) Risk assessment of Cd polluted paddy soils in the industrial and township areas in Hunan, Southern China. Chemosphere 144:346–351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.09.001
Wu W, Wu P, Yang F, Sun DL, Zhang DX, Zhou YK (2018) Assessment of heavy metal pollution and human health risks in urban soils around an electronics manufacturing facility. Sci Total Environ 630:53–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.183
Xiao G, Hu Y, Li N, Yang D (2018) Spatial autocorrelation analysis of monitoring data of heavy metals in rice in China. Food Control 89:32–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.01.032
Yang Z, Jing F, Chen X, Liu W, Guo B, Lin G, Huang R, Liu W (2018) Spatial distribution and sources of seven available heavy metals in the paddy soil of red region in Hunan Province of China. Environ Monit Assess 190(10):611. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6995-6
Yuanan H, He K, Sun Z, Chen G, Cheng H (2020) Quantitative source apportionment of heavy metal(loid)s in the agricultural soils of an industrializing region and associated model uncertainty. J Hazard Mater 391:122244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122244
Zeng F, Wei W, Li M, Huang R, Yang F, Duan Y (2015) Heavy metal contamination in rice-producing soils of Hunan province, China and potential health risks. Int J Environ Res Public Health 12:15584–15593. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph121215005
Zhang Z, Lu Y, Li H, Tu Y, Liu B, Yang Z (2018a) Assessment of heavy metal contamination, distribution and source identification in the sediments from the Zijiang River, China. Sci Total Environ 645:235–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.026
Zhang J, Li H, Zhou Y, Dou L, Cai L, Mo L, You J (2018b) Bioavailability and soil-to-crop transfer of heavy metals in farmland soils: a case study in the Pearl River Delta, South China. Environ Pollut 235:710–719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.106
Zhang Z, Wu X, Wu Q, Huang X, Zhang J, Fang H (2020a) Speciation and accumulation pattern of heavy metals from soil to rice at different growth stages in farmland of southwestern China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 27:35675–35691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09711-2
Zhang Z, Zhang N, Li H, Lu Y, Yang Z (2020b) Potential health risk assessment for inhabitants posed by heavy metals in rice in Zijiang River basin, Hunan Province, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 27(19):24013–24024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08568-9
Zhao K, Liu X, Xu J, Selim HM (2010) Heavy metal contaminations in a soil-rice system: identification of spatial dependence in relation to soil properties of paddy fields. J Hazard Mater 181(1-3):778–787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.05.081
Zhao Q, Wang Y, Cao Y, Chen A, Ren M, Ge Y, Yu Z, Wan S, Hu A, Bo Q, Ruan L, Chen H, Qin S, Chen W, Hu C, Tao F, Xu D, Xu J, Wen L, Li L (2014) Potential health risks of heavy metals in cultivated topsoil and grain, including correlations with human primary liver, lung and gastric cancer, in Anhui province, Eastern China. Sci Total Environ 470-471:340–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.09.086
Zheng S, Wang Q, Yuan Y, Sun W (2020) Human health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil and food crops in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration of China. Food Chem 316:126213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126213
Zhou L, Yang B, Xue N, Li F, Seip HM, Cong X, Yan Y, Liu B, Han B, Li H (2014) Ecological risks and potential sources of heavy metals in agricultural soils from Huanghuai Plain, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 21(2):1360–1369. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2023-0
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgement for Dr. Yejia Lin from Geological Survey of Hunan Institute for GIS data acquisition. The data support from the National Earth System Science Data Center, National Science & Technology Infrastructure of China. (http://www.geodata.cn).
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design: Hongsheng Cui: methodology, investigation, experiment, data curation, writing—original draft; Jia Wen: conceptualization, funding acquisition, methodology, supervision, project administration; Lisha Yang: experiment, writing—review and editing; Qi Wang: experiment, data curation; meanwhile, all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Philippe Garrigues
This manuscript was only submitted on Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary information
ESM 1
(DOCX 697 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cui, H., Wen, J., Yang, L. et al. Spatial distribution of heavy metals in rice grains and human health risk assessment in Hunan Province, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 83126–83137 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21636-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21636-6