title: Thallium contamination in arable soils and vegetables around a steel plant-A newly-found significant source of Tl pollution in South China.
abstract: Thallium (Tl) is a highly toxic rare element. Severe Tl poisoning can cause neurological brain damage or even death. The present study was designed to investigate contents of Tl and other associated heavy metals in arable soils and twelve common vegetables cultivated around a steel plant in South China, a newly-found initiator of Tl pollution. Potential health risks of these metals to exposed population via consumption of vegetables were examined by calculating hazard quotients (HQ). The soils showed a significant contamination with Tl at a mean concentration of 1.34 mg/kg. The Tl levels in most vegetables (such as leaf lettuce, chard and pak choy) surpassed the maximum permissible level (0.5 mg/kg) according to the environmental quality standards for food in Germany. Vegetables like leaf lettuce, chard, pak choy, romaine lettuce and Indian beans all exhibited bioconcentration factors (BCF) and transfer factors (TF) for Tl higher than 1, indicating a hyperaccumulation of Tl in these plants. Although the elevated Tl levels in the vegetables at present will not immediately pose significant non-carcinogenic health risks to residents, it highlights the necessity of a permanent monitoring of Tl contamination in the steel-making areas.
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center and Key Laboratory of Waters Safety & Protection in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center and Key Laboratory of Waters Safety & Protection in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Xuwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center and Key Laboratory of Waters Safety & Protection in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center and Key Laboratory of Waters Safety & Protection in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Tangfu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center and Key Laboratory of Waters Safety & Protection in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Diyun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Life Science, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China. Electronic address: gdsheng@usx.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center and Key Laboratory of Waters Safety & Protection in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Meiling
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institut für Ressourcenökologie, Leipzig 04318, German.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lippold
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Academy of Environmental Science, Guangzhou 510045, China.
authors.forename: Chunlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center and Key Laboratory of Waters Safety & Protection in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: chenyong_heng@163.com.
authors.forename: Yongheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008669:Metallurgy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013232:Steel; D013793:Thallium / Q000032:analysis*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D013232:Steel; D013793:Thallium
keywords: Ecological risk; Soil; Steel plant; Thallium; Vegetable