Cadmium contamination of soil and crops is affected by intercropping and rotation systems in the lower reaches of the Minjiang River in south-western China.
Cadmium (Cd) accumulation and pollution in arable soils are particularly serious in the lower reaches of the Minjiang River in southwest of China. In this study, the remediation efficiency of Cd contamination in arable soils, the distribution pattern of Cd concentration in crops, and the food safety to humans of three typical cropping systems (S1: maize + sweet potato-Chinese cabbage, S2: maize + ginger-stem mustard, and S3: rice) were investigated and evaluated. After 1-year rotation, the percentage of Cd extracted by crops from the plough soil layer was observed in three system fields with the trend of S1 (2.30 %) > S2 (1.16 %) > S3 (0.21 %) and Cd extraction amount in crops was maximum in sweet potato, then in maize. The same kind of crop had the same pattern of Cd distribution in organs, and the edible parts generally accumulated less Cd amount than the inedible parts. Further, the grain crops were found to possibly be suitable one for using as phytoaccumulators of Cd contamination for farmlands. Direct consumption of these crops from the three systems would pose a high health risk to local inhabitants since it would result in the monthly intake of Cd (247 μg kg(-1) body weight) being nearly 10 times higher than the recommended tolerable monthly intake (RTMI) (25 μg kg(-1) body weight), resulting mainly from the consumption of vegetables rather than the grains, which would be potentially reduced by these foods being consumed by livestock firstly.
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Yang
Y
Liu
Sichuan Forestry Exploration and Design Institute, Chengdu, 610081, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Kai
K
Liu
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Yong
Y
Li
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Wanqin
W
Yang
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Fuzhong
F
Wu
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Peng
P
Zhu
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China. sicauzhangjian@163.com.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China. sicauzhangjian@163.com.
Jian
J
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Lianghua
L
Chen
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Shun
S
Gao
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering in Sichuan Province, Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River, Chengdu, China.
Li
L
Zhang
D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D012989:Soil Pollutants
D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium
Arable soil; Cadmium; Food safety; Intercropping; Rotation