title: Contamination and health risks of soil heavy metals around a lead/zinc smelter in southwestern China.
abstract: Anthropogenic emissions of toxic metals from smelters are a global problem. The objective of this study was to investigate the distribution of toxic metals in soils around a 60 year-old Pb/Zn smelter in a town in Yunnan Province of China. Topsoil and soil core samples were collected and analyzed to determine the concentrations of various forms of toxic metals. The results indicated that approximately 60 years of Pb/Zn smelting has led to significant contamination of the local soil by Zn, Pb, Cd, As, Sb, and Hg, which exhibited maximum concentrations of 8078, 2485, 75.4, 71.7, 25.3, and 2.58mgkg(-1), dry wet, respectively. Other metals, including Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Sc, and V, were found to originate from geogenic sources. The concentrations of smelter driven metals in topsoil decreased with increasing distance from the smelter. The main contamination by Pb, Zn, and Cd was found in the upper 40cm of soil around the Pb/Zn smelter, but traces of Pb, Zn, and Cd contamination were found below 100cm. Geogenic Ni in the topsoil was mostly bound in the residual fraction (RES), whereas anthropogenic Cd, Pb, and Zn were mostly associated with non-RES fractions. Therefore, the smelting emissions increased not only the concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn in the topsoil but also their mobility and bioavailability. The hazard quotient and hazard index showed that the topsoil may pose a health risk to children, primarily due to the high Pb and As contents of the soil.
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Industrial Land Contamination and Remediation, Environmental Protection Research Institute of Light Industry, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Peizhong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: c.lin@bnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chunye
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hongguang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002681:China; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008669:Metallurgy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements; D007854:Lead; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Contamination; Health risk; Heavy metal; Lead; Soil; Zinc