title: [Effect of lead on soil quality and human health around a lead smeltery].
abstract: In order to disclose soil pollution caused by lead (Pb) smeltery and its human health risks, this study investigated Pb concentrations in farmland soil, hair and blood of residents surrounding a Pb smeltery in Henan Province, and discussed the rationality of estimation of the health protection zone from the Pb smeltery. It was found that the Pb concentrations in blood of children living in both M and Y villages exceeded the international Pb poisoning diagnostic criteria. The highest Pb concentration in blood was 491 microg x L(-1), with the percentages of mild, medium and severe Pb poisoning reaching 52.5%, 42.5% and 5.0%, respectively. Pb concentrations in hair of children living in Y village were in excess of the related standard, with the highest being 156 mg x kg(-1), and the average value 2.9 times of that in hair of adults. In terms of Pb in soil, Pb concentrations in 66.7% of the topsoils (0-20 cm) around the smeltery exceeded Grade II (350 mg x kg(-1), pH > 7.5) of the National Soil Environmental Quality Standard (GB 15618-1995), with the highest reaching up to 1687 mg x kg(-1). The severe soil pollution may have played a role in children's health issues in the villages surrounding the smeltery. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the scientific estimation of health protection zone from Pb smeltery and the remediation of heavy-metal contaminated soil in the surrounding areas.
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Remediation of Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. zhouxy@igsnrr.ac.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-yong
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guang-dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Guang-hui
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Tong-bin
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Peng-wei
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead