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Geostatistical analyses and fractionation of heavy metals in urban soil from industrial district in Weinan, NW China

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Abstract

The concentrations of metals (Pb, Cr, Ba, Zn, V, Mn, Co, Cu, Ni and As) in 38 soil samples collected from the industrial district in Weinan (NW China) were determined by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The magnetic parameters of soil including low-/high-frequency susceptibility and frequency-dependent susceptibility were measured. The modified three-step BCR sequential extraction procedure was used to evaluate mobility, availability and persistence of trace elements in urban soil samples. Multivariate (principal component analysis, clustering analysis and correlation analysis) and geostatistical analysis (ArcGIS tools) were applied to the obtained data to evaluate the analytical results and to identify the possible pollution sources of metals as well as geo-spatial distributions. The results revealed that the sampling area was mainly influenced by two main sources: (1) Ba, Cu, Pb, Cr and Zn were mainly derived from industrial sources, which combined with coal combustion as well as traffic factor. The mobility sequence based on the sum of the BCR sequential extraction stages was: Pb (53.79 %) > Zn (51.78 %) > Cu (50.96 %) > Ba (42.59 %) > Cr (18.47 %). Pb was the metal predominantly associated (~46.86 %) with the form bound to Fe/Mn oxides, and the highest percentage of Zn was exchangeable and carbonate-bound fraction. Cu was present mainly in organic fraction, while the residual fraction was the most dominant solid phase pool of Cr (~81.53 %) and Ba (~57.41 %). (2) Mn, V, Co, As and Ni in the study area were consistently from natural sources. The analysis of enrichment factors indicated that urban soils in Weinan City were classified as having significant enrichment by Ba, Cu, Pb, Cr and Zn. The overall results proposed the future tactics for Weinan environment quality control on a local scale that concerned not only the levels of risky, but also the industrial emission abatement techniques as well as urban setting.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was from Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (GK200902024) and National Natural Science Foundation of China. The authors sincerely appreciate the 2007 Fellowship of Chemistry Department, Jackson State University, provided by Dr. Paresh Chandra Ray (Professor in Physical Chemistry, Jackson State University) and Dr. Hongtao Yu (Chair of Department of chemistry, Jackson State University). Many thanks should be given to scientific journal editors and many anonymous referees for previewing and English writing. Opinions in the paper do not constitute an endorsement or approval by the funding agencies and only reflect the personal research views of the authors.

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  1. Department of Environmental Science, College of Tourism and Environment (No. 99 of Mail Box), Shaanxi Normal University, No.199 Chang’an South Street, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710062, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaoping Li

  2. Department of Law and Foreign Language, Shaanxi Police Professional College, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710043, People’s Republic of China

    Linna Feng

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  1. Xiaoping Li
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Correspondence to Xiaoping Li.

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Li, X., Feng, L. Geostatistical analyses and fractionation of heavy metals in urban soil from industrial district in Weinan, NW China. Environ Earth Sci 67, 2129–2140 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-1653-8

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