Abstract
The phosphorus chemical industry is an important source of heavy metals in farmland. Vegetables grown on contaminated soil potentially impose adverse effects on human health. In this study, the pollution status and health risks of heavy metals in vegetables around a phosphorus chemical plant in Kaiyang County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China, were assessed, and the low-accumulation vegetables were screened by bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and cluster analysis. Results showed the average concentrations of Hg, As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, and Zn in vegetables were 0.015, 0.728 0.382, 0.227, 0.850, 27.227, 0.525, and 6.438 mg/kg, respectively. The single-factor pollution index showed that Cd was moderately polluted, and Cr, Hg, As, and Pb were slightly polluted. The Nemerow pollution index showed that the overall heavy metal pollution was classified as moderately polluted. The accumulation of heavy metals in different vegetables varied greatly, and chard, crown daisy, chayote, pumpkin, eggplant, white radish, sweet potato, carrot, and potato were selected as the low-accumulator vegetables. The consumption of all vegetables except chayote poses both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks; among them, the consumption of sweet potato leaves has the highest health risks. The local population needs to adjust plantation structure and change dietary habits, and government should strengthen the management of phosphorus chemical plant pollution.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Abou El-Nasr MK, El-Hennawy HM, Samaan M et al (2021) Using zinc oxide nanoparticles to improve the color and berry quality of table grapes cv crimson seedless. Plants (Basel, Switzerland) 10:1285. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071285
Alexander PD, Alloway BJ, Dourado AM et al (2006) Genotypic variations in the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn exhibited by six commonly grown vegetables. Environ Pollut 144:736–745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2006.03.001
Al-Hwaiti M, Al-Khashman O (2015) Health risk assessment of heavy metals contamination in tomato and green pepper plants grown in soils amended with phosphogypsum waste materials. Environ Geochem Hlth 37(2):287–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-014-9646-z
Ben CI, Bouguerra S, Ksibi M et al (2021) Health risk assessment of heavy metals exposure via consumption of crops grown in phosphogypsum-contaminated soils. Environ Geochem Hlth 43(5):1953–1981. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00777-y
Bezerril Fontenele NM, Otoch M, Gomes-Rochette NF et al (2017) Effect of lead on physiological and antioxidant responses in two Vigna unguiculata cultivars differing in Pb-accumulation. Chemosphere 176:397–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.072
Chang CY, Yu HY, Chen JJ et al (2014) Accumulation of heavy metals in leaf vegetables from agricultural soils and associated potential health risks in the Pearl River Delta, South China. Environ Monit Assess 186:1547–1560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3472-0
Chen H, Yuan X, Li T et al (2016) Characteristics of heavy metal transfer and their influencing factors in different soil-crop systems of the industrialization region, China. Ecotox Environ Safe 126:193–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.12.042
Cheng WD, Zhang GP, Yao HG et al (2006) Genotypic and environmental variation in cadmium, chromium, arsenic, nickel, and lead concentrations in rice grains. J Zhejiang Univ 7:565–571. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2006.B0565
Cherfi A, Achour M, Cherfi M et al (2015) Health risk assessment of heavy metals through consumption of vegetables irrigated with reclaimed urban wastewater in Algeria. Process Saf Environ 98:245–252
Cui L, Feng X, Lin CJ et al (2014) Accumulation and translocation of 198Hg in four crop species. Environ Toxicol Chem 33:334–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.2443
Dai HM, Yang L, Guo ZY et al (2022) Heavy metal pollution and health risk assessment of farmland soil around a phosphating plant in karst mountainous area. J Environ Health 39(3):223–228. https://doi.org/10.16241/j.cnki.1001-5914.2022.03.011. (in Chinese)
Gan Y, Wang L, Yang G et al (2017) Multiple factors impact the con-tents of heavy metals in vegetables in high natural background area of China. Chemosphere 184:1388–1395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.06.072
Guerra F, Trevizam AR, Muraoka T et al (2012) Heavy metals in vegetables and potential risk for human health. Sci Agr 69:54–60
Haque M, Hossain N, Jolly YN et al (2021) Probabilistic health risk assessment of toxic metals in chickens from the largest production areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28(37):51329–51341
Hu W, Huang B, Tian K et al (2017) Heavy metals in intensive greenhouse vegetable production systems along Yellow Sea of China: levels, transfer and health risk. Chemosphere 167:82–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.09.122
Huang B, Xin J, Dai H et al (2015) Root morphological responses of three hot pepper cultivars to Cd exposure and their correlations with Cd accumulation. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 22:1151–1159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3405-7
International Agency for Research on Cancer (2012) Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans; A review of human carcinogens: Arsenic, metals, fibres, and dusts, vol 100. C; International Agency for Research on Cancer: Lyon, France, pp 41–93
Li Y, Wang Y, Gou X et al (2006) Risk assessment of heavy metals in soils and vegetables around non-ferrous metals mining and smelting sites, Baiyin, China. J Environ Sci 18(6):1124–1134. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(06)60050-8
Li X, Li Z, Lin CJ et al (2018) Health risks of heavy metal exposure through vegetable consumption near a large-scale Pb/Zn smelter in cen-tral China. Ecotox Environ Safe 161:99–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.05.080
Liu WH, Zhao JZ, Ouyang ZY et al (2005) Impacts of sewage irrigation on heavy metal distribution and contamination in Beijing, China. Environ Int 31:805–812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2005.05.042
Liu X, Song Q, Tang Y et al (2013) Human health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil-vegetable system: a multi-medium analysis. Sci Total Environ 463–464:530–540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.064
Liu L, Zhang X, Zhong T (2016) Pollution and health risk assessment of heavy metals in urban soil in China. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 22:424–434. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2015.1078226
Lu X, Wang L, Lei K et al (2009) Contamination assessment of copper, lead, zinc, manganese and nickel in street dust of Baoji, NW China. J Hazard Mater 161(2–3):1058–1062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.04.052
Real M, Azam HM, Majed N (2017) Consumption of heavy metal contaminated foods and associated risks in Bangladesh. Environ Monit Assess 189(12):651. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6362-z
Rehman IU, Ishaq M, Ali L et al (2018) Enrichment, spatial distribution of potential ecological and human health risk assessment via toxic metals in soil and surface water ingestion in the vicinity of Sewakht mines, district Chitral, Northern Paki-stan. Ecotox Environ Safe 154:127–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.02.033
Sani HA, Ahmad MB, Hussein MZ et al (2017) Nanocomposite of ZnO with montmorillonite for removal of lead and copper ions from aqueous solutions. Process Saf Environ 109:97–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scrysgro.2007.03.016
Serviere-Zaragoza E, Lluch-Cota SE, Mazariegos-Villarreal A et al (2021) Cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, and iron concentration patterns in three marine fish species from two different mining sites inside the Gulf of California, Mexico. Int J Env Res Pub Health 18:844. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020844
Singh UK, Kumar B (2017) Pathways of heavy metals contamination and associated human health risk in Ajay River basin, India. Chemosphere 174:183–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.103
Sun FF, Wang FH, Wang X et al (2013) Soil threshold values of total and available cadmium for vegetable growing based on field data in Guangdong province, South China. J Sci Food Agr 93:1967–1973. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6000
Sun Z, Hu Y, Cheng H (2020) Public health risk of toxic metal(loid) pollution to the population living near an abandoned small-scale polymetallic mine. Sci Total Environ 718:137434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137434
Sun S, Cao R, Jin J et al (2021) Accumulation characteristics and estmated dietary intakes of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls in plant-origin foodstuffs from Chinese markets. Sci Total Environ 775:145830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145830
Tang M, Lu G, Fan B et al (2021) Bioaccumulation and risk assessment of heavy metals in soil-crop systems in Liujiang karst area, Southwestern China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 28:9657–9669. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11448-x
USEPA (2009) Risk assessment guidance for superfund (RAGS). Volume I, Human Health Evaluation Manual (Part E, Supplemental Guidance for Dermal Risk Assessment)
Wang H, Li X, Chen Y et al (2010) Geochemical behavior and potential health risk of heavy metals in basalt-derived agricultural soil and crops: a case study from Xuyi County, eastern China. Sci Total Environ 729:139058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139058
Wang H, Gao J, Hou W (2018) Quantitative attribution analysis of soil erosion in different morphological types of geomorphology in karst areas: based on the geographical detector method. J Geogr Sci 29:271–286. https://doi.org/10.11821/dlxb201809005
Wen Y, Li W, Yang Z et al (2020) Evaluation of various approaches to predict cadmium bioavailability to rice grown in soils with high geochemical background in the karst region, Southwestern China. Environ Pollut 258:113645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113645
Xie W, Peng C, Wang H et al (2017) Health risk assessment of trace metals in various environmental media, crops and human hair from a mining affected area. Int J Env Res Pub Health 14:1595. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14121595
Xin J, Huang B, Liu A et al (2013) Identification of hot pepper cultivars containing low Cd levels after growing on contaminated soil: uptake and redistribution to the edible plant parts. Plant Soil 373:415–425
Yang M, Zhang Y, Zhang L et al (2014) OsNRAMP5 contributes to manganese translocation and distribution in rice shoots. J Exp Bot 65:4849–4861. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eru259
Yu R, Xia S, Liu C et al (2017) Variations in root morphology among 18 herbaceous species and their relationship with cadmium accumulation. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 24:4731–4740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8210-z
Zeng X, Xu X, Zheng X et al (2016) Heavy metals in PM2.5 and in blood, and children’s respiratory symptoms and asthma from an e-waste recycling area. Environ Pollut 210:346–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.01.025
Zhang L, Ye X, Feng H et al (2007) Heavy metal contamination in western Xiamen Bay sediments and its vicinity, China. Mar Pollut Bullet 54(7):974–982. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.02.010
Zhang K, Yuan J, Kong W et al (2013) Genotype variations in cadmium and lead accumulations of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and screening for pollution-safe cultivars for food safety. Environ Sci-Proc Imp 15:124–1255. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3em00158j
Zhang M, Wang K, Liu H et al (2018) Effect of ecological engineering projects on ecosystem services in a karst region: a case study of northwest guangxi, China. J Clean Prod 183:831–842
Zhou Y, Xue M, Yang Z et al (2013) High cadmium pollution risk on vegetable amaranth and a selection for pollution-safe cultivars to lower the risk. Front Env Sci Eng 7:219–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-012-0469-9
Zhou H, Yang WT, Zhou X et al (2016) Accumulation of heavy metals in vegetable species planted in contaminated soils and the health risk assessment. Int J Environ Res Public Health 13(3):289
Funding
This work was supported by Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (No. 32060290); the Science and Technology Department of Guizhou Province (No. [2018]5779); and the first-class discipline construction project in Guizhou Province—Public Health and Preventive Medicine (No. 2017[85]).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Sha Pan designed the study; Ziyu Guo, Hengmei Dai, Min Wang, and Sha Pan conducted the research; Ziyu Guo and Min Wang analyzed the data; Ziyu Guo and Sha Pan wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Ethics approval
Not applicable.
Consent to participate
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Philippe Garrigues
Publisher's note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Guo, Z., Dai, H., Wang, M. et al. Health risk assessment of heavy metal exposure through vegetable consumption around a phosphorus chemical plant in the Kaiyang karst area, southwestern China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 35617–35634 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24662-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24662-6