Transfer of metals from soil to vegetables in an area near a smelter in Nanning, China

• Published in: Environment international 2004-08, Vol.30 (6), p.785-791
• Main Authors: Cui, Yu-Jing, Zhu, Yong-Guan, Zhai, Ri-Hong, Chen, Deng-Yun, Huang, Yi-Zhong, Qiu, Yi, Liang, Jian-Zhong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; China; Data Collection; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment. Living conditions; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Ingestion; Medical sciences; Metal; Metallurgy; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - pharmacokinetics; Non agrochemicals pollutants; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Pollution; Pollution effects and side effects of agrochemicals on crop plants and forest trees. Other anthropogenic factors; Pollution effects. Side effects of agrochemicals; Pollution, environment geology; Public Health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Assessment; Risk index; Soil; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - pharmacokinetics; Transfer factor; Vegetable; Vegetables - chemistry
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2004.01.003

A field survey was conducted to investigate the metal contamination in soils and vegetables, and to evaluate the possible health risks to local population through foodchain transfer near a smelter in Nanning, southern China. Contamination levels in soils and vegetables with cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were measured, and transfer factors (TF) from soils to vegetable plants and its health risk (risk index, RI) were calculated accordingly. Results showed that both soils and vegetables from villages 1 and 2 (V1 and V2, 1500 m and 500 m from the smelter) were heavily contaminated, compared to a village 50 km from the smelter. Geometric mean of Cd and Pb concentrations in vegetables for V1 and V2, respectively, were 0.15 and 0.24 mg Cd kg −1 and 0.45 and 0.38 mg Pb kg −1 (on fresh weight basis). Oral intake of Cd and Pb through vegetables poses high health risk to local residents. Risk indices for V1 and V2, respectively, were 3.87 and 7.42 for Cd, and 1.44 and 13.5 for Pb. The complexity of metal contamination and their health risks are also discussed.