title: Heavy metal contaminations in soil-rice system: source identification in relation to a sulfur-rich coal burning power plant in Northern Guangdong Province, China.
abstract: Heavy metal contents (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in 99 pairs of soil-rice plant samples were evaluated from the downwind directions of a large thermal power plant in Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, China. Results indicate that there is a substantial buildup of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the predominant wind direction of the power plant. The significant correlations between S and heavy metals in paddy soil suggest that the power plant represents a source of topsoil heavy metals in Shaoguan City due to sulfur-rich coal burning emissions. Elevated Cd concentrations were also found in rice plant tissues. Average Cd (0.69 mg kg(-1)) and Pb (0.39 mg kg(-1)) contents in rice grain had exceeded their maximum permissible limits (both were 0.2 mg kg(-1)) in foods of China (GB2762-2005). The enrichment of Cd and Pb in rice grain might pose a potential health risk to the local residents.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment Pollution Integrated Control, Guangdong Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
authors.forename: Xiangqin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoduo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment Pollution Integrated Control, Guangdong Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chuanping
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment Pollution Integrated Control, Guangdong Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China. cefbli@soil.gd.cn.
authors.forename: Fangbai
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment Pollution Integrated Control, Guangdong Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
authors.forename: Xianghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment Pollution Integrated Control, Guangdong Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
authors.forename: Yahui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003031:Coal; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry*; D011210:Power Plants; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013455:Sulfur
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D013455:Sulfur
keywords: Cadmium; Coal burning power plant; Health risk; Heavy metals; Paddy soil; Rice