title: Source apportionment and health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil for a township in Jiangsu Province, China.
abstract: Human activities contribute greatly to heavy metal pollution in soils. Concentrations of 15 metal elements were detected in 105 soil samples collected from a typical rural-industrial town in southern Jiangsu, China. Among them, 7 heavy metals-lead, copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, cadmium, and nickel-were considered in the health risk assessment for residents via soil inhalation, dermal contact, and/or direct/indirect ingestion. Their potential sources were quantitatively apportioned by positive matrix factorization using the data set of all metal elements, in combination with geostatistical analysis, land use investigation, and industrial composition analysis. Furthermore, the health risks imposed by sources of heavy metal in soil were estimated for the first time. The results indicated that Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Co accumulated in the soil, attaining a mild pollution level. The total hazard index values were 3.62 and 6.11, and the total cancer risks were 9.78 × 10-4and 4.03 × 10-4for adults and children, respectively. That is, both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks posed by soil metals were above acceptable levels. Cr and As require special attention because the health risks of Cr and As individually exceeded the acceptable levels. The ingestion of homegrown produce was predominantly responsible for the high risks. The potential sources were apportioned as: a) waste incineration and textile/dyeing industries (28.3%), b) natural sources (45.4%), c) traffic emissions (5.3%), and d) electroplating industries and livestock/poultry breeding (21.0%). Health risks of four sources accounted for 23.5%, 32.7%, 7.4%, and 36.4% of the total risk, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; College of Resource Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yanxue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; College of Resource Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Sihong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; College of Resource Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jianwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; College of Resource Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; College of Resource Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yanjiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; College of Resource Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Aichen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; College of Resource Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: caohongbin@bnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Health risks; Positive matrix factorization; Soil heavy metals; Source apportionment