Health risk assessment of trace metal(loid)s in agricultural soils based on Monte Carlo simulation coupled with positive matrix factorization model in Chongqing, southwest China

This study aimed to investigate the pollution characteristics, source apportionment, and health risks associated with trace metal(loid)s(TMs) in the major agricultural producing areas in Chongqing, China. We analyzed the source apportionment and assessed the health risk of TMs in agricultural soils by using positive matrix factorization(PMF) model and health risk assessment(HRA) model based on Monte Carlo simulation. Meanwhile, we combined PMF and HRA models to explore the health risks of TMs in agricultural soils by different pollution sources to determine the priority control factors. Results showed that the average contents of cadmium(Cd), arsenic (As), lead(Pb), chromium(Cr), copper(Cu), nickel(Ni), and zinc(Zn) in the soil were found to be 0.26, 5.93, 27.14, 61.32, 23.81, 32.45, and 78.65 mg/kg, respectively. Spatial analysis and source apportionment analysis revealed that urban and industrial sources, agricultural sources, and natural sources accounted for 33.0%, 27.7%, and 39.3% of TM accumulation in the soil, respectively. In the HRA model based on Monte Carlo simulation, noncarcinogenic risks were deemed negligible(hazard index <1), the carcinogenic risks were at acceptable level(10^(-6)<total carcinogenic risk ≤ 10^(-4)), with higher risks observed for children compared to adults. The relationship between TMs, their sources, and health risks indicated that urban and industrial sources were primarily associated with As, contributing to 75.1% of carcinogenic risks and 55.7% of non-carcinogenic risks, making them the primary control factors. Meanwhile, agricultural sources were primarily linked to Cd and Pb, contributing to 13.1% of carcinogenic risks and 21.8% of non-carcinogenic risks, designating them as secondary control factors.

Trace Metal Levels of Groundwater,Surface Water and Sediments in Kinsevere Industrial Zone and Its Surroundings,Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Arsenic,barium,bismuth,cadmium,cesium,chromium,cobalt,copper,iron,lead,manganese,molybdenum,nickel,strontium,thallium,tungsten,uranium,vanadium,and zinc concentrations were investigated in forty-two groundwater samples,twenty-four surface water and six surface sediment samples in Kinsevere industrial zone and its surroundings in February and march 2017,January,February and March 2018 to evaluate the potential human health risk.Chemical analyses were carried out by using ICP-SF-MS(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Sector Field Mass Spectrometry,Thermo Scientific Element II).The trace metals were detected at various concentrations in all the analyzed samples.Pb,Mn and Fe concentrations exceeded the European Union acceptable maximum limits for water intended for human consumption in 4.76%,28.57%and 61.90%of the groundwater samples,respectively and in 0%,50%and 100%of the surface water samples,respectively.As,Cr,Cu and Ni concentrations exceeded the recommended lower sediment quality guideline values in 33.33%,50%,83.33%and 83.33%of the surface sediment samples,respectively.All those elevated trace metal concentrations in the groundwater,surface water and sediments represent a risk for the health of local population as well as for aquatic organisms.

Environmental Assessments of Trace Metals in Sediments from Dongting Lake, Central China

To examine the degree of contamination in the Dongting Lake （洞庭湖） area, surface sediments samples were collected and investigated in this study. This lake lies in the south of the middle Yangtze River, and it is the second largest fresh-water lake in China. These samples were analyzed for the concentrations of the following 6 elements （CA, Cr, Cn, Ni, Ph and Zn） collected from 46 locations. The index of geo-accumulation was used to assess the degree of contamination of the total trace elements and the assessments showed that the contamination of Cd reached strong to very strong pollution. The speciation of metal in sediments was analyzed using the modified BCR （Community Bureau of Reference） sequential extraction technology and the water column-contamination risk was evaluted by the calculated contamination factors. The results of the speciation of metal indicated that more easily mobilized forms （exchangeable, water soluble, and acid soluble） were predominant for CA, especially in the samples from East Dongting Lake. In contrast, the largest amount of lead was associated with the iron and manganese oxide fractions, and Cn, Zn, Cr, and Ni analyzed were mainly distributed in residual phase at an average percentage higher than 60 % of the total metals. The potential risk to the lake＇s water contamination was the highest in East Dongting Lake based on the calculated contamination factors. The assessment results using geo-accamnlation index were compared with the information obtained by trace metal speciation and both results were consistent.

Simultaneous determination of some trace metal impurities in high-purity sodium tungstate using coprecipitation and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

A method based on the combination of coprecipitation with inductively coupledplasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) was developed for the determination of impurities inhigh-purity sodium tungstate. Six elements (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb) were coprecipitated bylanthanum hydroxide so as to be concentrated and separated from the tungsten matrix. Effects of somefactors on the recoveries of the analytes and on the residual amount of sodium tungstate wereinvestigated, and the optimum conditions for the coprecipitation were proposed. Matrix-matchingcalibration curve method was used for the analysis. It is shown that the elements mentioned abovecan be quantitatively recovered. The detection limits for Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb are 0.07, 0.4,0.2, 0.1, 0.6, and 1.3 μg·g^(-1), respectively. The recoveries vary from 92.5% to 108%, and therelative standard deviations (RSDs) are in the range of 3.1%-5.5%.

Preliminary study on the distribution of nutrients, organic matter, trace metals in sea surface microlayer in Xiamen Bay and Jiulong Estuary

The enrichment of nutrients (Noa-, Noa-, PO43-), suspended particles, organic matter (POC, PON,DOC) , and trace metals (Cu, Ni, Cd) was determined in the sea surface microlayer of Xiamen Bay and Jiulong Estuary. The mean enrichment factors ([Xi]microlayer/[Xi ]15cm in depth) mostly ranged between 1 . 0 and 2. 0. The dissolved forms were the major forms of the components measured, the enrichment of dissolved organic matter and suspended particles could lead to the changes in the total amount and speciation of nutrients and trace metals. No correlation was observed between sample concentrations, speciation, enrichment factors and sample locations. However, some evidence shows that these parameters are correlated with sea state, indicating the complexity and dynamic nature of the sea surface microlayer.

Geochemical evidences of trace metal anomalies for finding hydrocarbon microseepage in the petroliferous regions of the Tatipaka and Pasarlapudi areas of Krishna Godavari Basin,India

The long-term seepage of hydrocarbons, either as macroseepage or microseepage, can set up near-surface oxidation reduction zones that favor the development of a diverse array of chemical and mineralogical changes. The bacterial oxidation of light hydrocarbons can directly or indirectly bring about significant changes in the values of pH and Eh of the surrounding environment, thereby also changing the stability fields of the different mineral species present in that environment. The paper reports the role of hydrocarbon microseepage in surface alterations of trace metal concentrations. In this study trace metal alterations were mapped that appear to be associated with hydrocarbon microseepages in the oil/ gas fields. A total of 50 soil samples were collected near oil and gas fields of the Tatipaka and Pasarlapudi areas of the Krishna Godavari Basin, Andhra Pradesh. The soil samples were collected from a depth of 2-2.5 m. The paper reports the chemical alterations associated with trace metals in soils that are related to hydrocarbon microseepages above some of the major oil and gas fields of this petroliferous region. Trace metals, such as scandium （Sc）, vanadium （V）, chromium （Cr）, cobalt （Co）, nickel （Ni）, copper （Cu）, zinc （Zn）, barium （Ba） and strontium （Sr）, in soil samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma- mass spectrometry （ICP-MS）. The concentrations of Sc （8 to 40 mg/kg）, V （197 to 489 mg/kg）, Cr （106 to 287 mg/kg）, Co （31 to 52 mg/kg）, Ni （65 to 110 mg/kg）, Cu （88 to 131 mg/kg）, Zn （88 to 471 mg/kg）, Ba （263 to 3,091 mg/kg） and Sr （119 to 218 mg/kg） were obtained. It was observed that the concentrations of trace elements were tremendously increased when they were compared with their normal concentrations in soils. The analysis of adsorbed soil gas showed the presence of high concentrations of YC2＋ （C2H6, C3H8 and n-C4H10） ranging from 7 to 222 μg/kg respectively. Integrated studies of trace elements over adsorbed light gaseous hydrocarbons （2C2＋） anomalies showed good correlation with the existing oil and gas wells. The carbon isotopic composition of δ13C1 of the samples ranges between -36.6%o to -22.7‰ （Pee Dee Belemnite） values indicate thermogenic origin, which presents convincing evidence that the adsorbed soil gases collected from these sediments are of catagenetic origin. The increase in the concentrations of trace metals near oil/gas producing areas, suggests a soil chemical change to a reducing environment, presumably due to the influence of hydrocarbon microseepage, which could be applied with other geoscientific data to identify areas of future hydrocarbon exploration in frontier areas.

Trace Metal Levels in Lichen Samples From Roadsides in East Black Sea Region,Turkey

Objective To determine the metal contents of lichen species from East Black Sea region of Turkey for investigation of trace metal pollution sourced traffic. Methods The levels of copper, cadmium, lead, zinc, manganese, iron, chromium, nickel, cobalt, palladium in lichen samples collected from East Black Sea region of Turkey were determined by flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion method. The accuracy of the method was corrected by standard reference material （NIST SRM IAEA-336 Lichen）. Results The contents of invest!gated trace metals in lichen samples were 7.19-22.4 μg/g for copper, 0.10-0.64 μg/g for cadmium, 4.03-44.6 μg/g for lead, 14.5-41.8 μg/g for zinc, 25.8-208 μg/g for manganese, 331-436 μg/g for iron, 1.20-3.01 μg/g for chromium, 1.48-3.90 μg/g for nickel, 0.20-3.55 μg/g for cobalt, 0.11-0.64 μg/g for palladium. The results were compared with the literature values. Conclusion Some lichen species such as Xanthoparmelia conspersa, Xanthoria calcicola, Peltigera membranacea, and Physcia adscendens are accumulated trace metals at a high ratio.

Health Risk Assessment of Trace Metals in Drinking Water Consumed in Dakar, Senegal

Water contamination by chemical pollutants is increasingly associated with waterborne diseases worldwide. The objective of this study is to assess the chemical health risk associated with drinking water consumption in Dakar, Senegal. The methodology adopted in this study is based on the determination of trace metals (Cd, Pb, Fe, Cu and Mn) in human drinking water by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, the estimation of the exposure of populations of the study area on the basis of the quantity of water consumed daily and the determination of the hazard quotient which allows estimating the health risk. The results indicate unacceptable levels of Pb and Cd in the water according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, while the concentrations of Fe, Cu and Mn are below the regulatory values. The hazard quotient (HQ) is in the majority of samples higher than 1 in children and infants for scenario 1 (based on WHO data), reflecting a high risk for this target. In scenario 2 based on consumption data from the populations studied, the HQ is greater than 1 only in heavy consumers. The drinking water consumed by Dakar population presents health risks related to Pb and Cd, particularly for infants, children and heavy consumers, hence the need to strengthen the water treatment system before home consumption.

The Factors for Transformation between the Fractions of Speciation of Trace Metals in Lake Sediments

Objective Despite the fact that the bioavailability of trace metals indicated by their speciation has been an indispensable parameter in the assessment and treatment of the environmental pollution of trace metals, many studies have suggested that the bioavailability of trace metals may change according to the conditions of the environment, and the speciation of trace metals can also transform between some fractions. These transformations are related with these factors such as the compositions, microorganism, time, and other physical-chemical conditions of the system. Our work aims to systematically investigate and probe the factors to affect the transformation aside from analysis at certain time-place. The results of these understanding and investigations can be used for reasonably determining the allocation of financial and technical resources in natural and engineered processes, with bringing about inspirations from the evolution of the speciation of the trace metals on environmental impacts.

Phytoextraction of Trace Metals (Cd, Ni and Pb) by Panicum maximum Grown on Natural Soil

This study aims to assess the effective capacity of Panicum maximum to accumulate cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb). P. maximum observed in a greenhouse was subjected to 2 ppm of Cd, 50 ppm of Ni, 100 ppm of Pb contaminated soil and uncontaminated soil, for 120 days. Plant growth and biomass produced concentration of trace metals in soil and plant, bioaccumulation and transfer factors, location of potentially toxic elements in tissues and cells of plant have been determined. Stem length and biomass produced by P. maximum were higher on the uncontaminated soil followed respectively by those of soil-contaminated by Pb, Cd and Ni. Bioaccumulation factors of trace metals were 8.93 (Pb), 8.47 (Ni) and 3.37 (Cd). Ni was more accumulated in shoot biomass (FT > 1), while Pb and Cd were concentrated in root biomass (FT < 1). Pb is accumulated preferentially in endodermis (roots) and epidermis (leaves). As for Ni and Cd, they are concentrated in central cylinder of roots and in conductive bundles of leaves. At cellular level, Ni and Cd are mainly concentrated in intracellular compartments of leaves and roots, while Pb is strongly detected at cell walls.

Review Study on the Accumulation and Release of Trace Metal Elements on Aluminum Containing Sediments in Drinking Water Distribution System

Accumulation and releasing of trace metal elements on aluminum containing sediments of inner drinking water pipe is discussed,as studied from five variations effecting:raw water quality,chemical reagents,solution pH and drinking water flow condition.In order to decrease the release of trace metal elements,and to ensure the pipe operation and human safety,water quality adjustment is suggested to avoid aluminum containing sediments formation in drinking distribution system.The maximum amounts of accumulation of common trace metal elements are given.Future trends of development in this field are also proposed.

Contents of Trace Metal Elements in Cow Milk Impacted by Different Feedstuffs

Feedstuff intake plays key role in impacting the yield and quality of milk. In this study, we discussed the contents of trace metal elements in cow milk impacted by different feedstuffs. We detected the contents of Pb, Cd, As, Cu, Mg, Ca, Fe and Zn in different feedstuffs and milk by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The determinations of Pb, Cd and As contents were by graphite furnace A_AS and Cu, Mg, Ca, Fe and Zn was by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The results showed that Pb, Cd, As and Cu presented in feedstuffs, but Pb, Cd and As were lowly detected in milk samples, and Cu was not detected in milk samples. The content of Mg in concentrates was lower than that in forages. However, the content of Mg in milk from concentrate feed was higher than that in forage feed. This suggested that the utilization of Mg in concentrate feed was higher than that in forage feed. The contents of Ca and Zn were opposite to Mg, and the utilization of Ca and Zn in forage feed was higher than that in concentrate feed. There was no obviously change law of Fe in different feedstuffs and milk samples. The relationship between the contents of trace metal elements in milk to feedstuffs would provide a theoretical basis for dairy farming. It would be useful for improving the milk yield and milk quality of dairy production.

11000-Year Record of Trace Metals in Sediments off the Southern Shandong Peninsula in the South Yellow Sea

Geochemical background values are the normal concentration of trace metals in the natural environment and sediment cores have been proved to be excellent samples to get these values.The trace metal(Cu,Pb,Zn,Cr,Cd,As,Hg,Ni,Li,and Co)concentration profiles along a sediment core are investigated to get the background values and to assess the depositional processes and contamination levels off the southern Shandong Peninsula,China.All the metals,except As and Hg,had similar concentration profiles with the highest average values during the period of 6-3 kyr.The high concentrations of As and Hg occurred before 6ka and during the period of 3-0 kyr.The difference in metal concentrations before and after 6 kyr was mainly attributed to the source of core sediments,which are derived from proximal sediment on the Shandong Peninsula before 6 kyr and the mixture of proximal sediment and Yellow River sediment after 6 kyr.The effects of particle size and human activity were mainly contributed to the metal concentrations since 6 kyr.The average concentrations of trace elements in sediments between 6 and 3 kyr were selected as background values.The principal component factor analysis indicate that the metals were from the natural sources throughout the observed depositional period,with the exception of As and Hg,which may had anthropogenic sources for the sediments from the bottom 2 m of the core.Their geoaccumulation indices indicate that the sediments were not contaminated for Cu,Zn,Cr,Cd,Pb,Ni,Li and Co,whereas they were contaminated recently for As and Hg due to the regional civilization and human activities.

SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF MIXTURES OF TRACE METAL BY DOUBLE-SYSTEM AND MULTIVARIATE CALIRRATION

In this paper,a new method for simultaneous spectrophotometric analysis of multi- component with double-system was developed.The multivariate calibration method,principal component analysis-partial least squares(PCA-PLS),was described and applied to the processing of measurement data.A demonstration,simultaneous determination of cobalt,nickel,copper,zinc and iron with double-system(5-Br-PADAP and PAR as chromogenic chelate reagents,respectively) was given.The results showed that the method with douhle-system gave better precision than those with single system and MLR(in this paper,AKC method was selected)did not give satis- fied precision in any situation.

Assessment of Trace Metal Levels of Groundwater in Lubumbashi,Kampemba and Kamalondo Communes of Lubumbashi City,Democratic Republic of Congo

Trace metal levels of groundwater in Lubumbashi,Kampemba and Kamalondo communes of Lubumbashi city were assessed from October 2016 to February 2017.Two hundred forty water samples collected from twenty-two spade-sunk wells and twelve drilled wells in these three communes of Lubumbashi city were analyzed for their metal contents using ICP-SF-MS(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Sector Field Mass Spectrometry).Twenty trace elements including strontium,molybdenum,cadmium,cesium,barium,tungsten,thallium,lead,bismuth,uranium,aluminum,vanadium,chromium,manganese,iron,cobalt,nickel,copper,zinc and arsenic were recorded at varying concentrations in all the water samples and were compared with the WHO(World Health Organization),US EPA(Environmental Protection Agency)and EU(European Union)drinking water MCLs(Maximum Concentration Limits)for cadmium,barium,thallium,lead,uranium,aluminum,chromium,manganese,iron,nickel,copper,zinc and arsenic.Mean cadmium,lead,aluminum,manganese,iron,nickel,zinc and arsenic levels respectively exceeded the WHO,US EPA and EU drinking water MCLs in 6.66%,3.38%,26.67%,5.02%,30.03%,3.38%,1.64% and 5.02% of the samples with the highest mean levels of 116.89μg/L for cadmium,38.162μg/L for lead,2,712.5μg/L for aluminum,1,242.68μg/L for manganese,17,325.98μg/L for iron,64.647μg/L for nickel,9,900.72μg/L for zinc and 65.458μg/L for arsenic.Mean water pH values ranged from 4.7 to 11.1 with 19.17% of the groundwater samples having mean pH values outside the WHO drinking water pH optimum range values of 6.5-8.5,including 5.02% of the water samples which were acidic(mean pH values ranging from 4.7 to 6.4)and 14.15% which were alkaline(mean pH values ranging from 8.6 to 11.1).With such physicochemical and trace metal contamination status of groundwater in the three communes of Lubumbashi city,there is a high risk to the health of people who use that water to meet their drinking water needs.

Bioaccumulation of Trace Metals in Tissues of Rohu Fish for Environmental Risk Assessment

In the present study, the two lakes, Vengaiah lake (Lake A-Sewage polluted receiving discharge from storm water drain) and Yellamallappa Chetty lake (Lake B-Industrially polluted) situated near Krishnarajpuram-Hoskote taluk, Bangalore, Karnataka were selected for analysis of trace metals viz., arsenic, aluminium, cadmium, lead, mercury, iron, copper and zinc in water samples. Muscle and gill tissues of freshwater fish Labeo rohita reared in these water bodies were analysed for bioaccumulation of trace metals. Hebbal fish farm was considered as a reference site (Control site) for water and fish samples. Trace metals were analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy and values were compared with those recommended by FAO/WHO in water and fish samples. Trace metals such as Al, As and Hg were detected in the water sampled from lake B which is attributed to the differences in the sources of pollutants. Fish tissues viz., muscle and gills sampled from Lake B exhibited high concentration of Al, Pb and Cd content showing a positive correlation with their concentration in water samples. The remaining metals as Cu, Zn and Fe were detected in water sampled from all water bodies and also in the fish tissues. Gills exhibited higher concentration of metals in fish from lake B. Bioaccumulation of these trace metals in fish tissues may cause potential danger to human health when consumed on regular basis. Thus necessary remedial measures are required to combat water contamination and its management keeping in view the aquatic ecosystem and public health. Values were statistically significant at P < 0.0001.

Trace Metals in Fine and Respirable Ambient Air Particulates on Trinidad’s West Coast

The paper analyzed the concentrations of trace metals in fine and respirable particulates (fine-PM1 and PM2.5;respirable-PM10) to determine baseline concentrations in the ambient air and the factors impacting its distribution such as land use and time of year when levels may be concerning to public health. Measurements of particulates along with meteorological parameters were made at four sites over the heavily populated west coast of Trinidad (10°32'N, 61°18'W) during March ’15-May ’16, representing rural, urban, mixed background and industrial land uses. The study found mean levels of trace metals to be highest at the industrial and urban stations. Public health exceedances (referenced to the Canadian AAQ public health standards (Ontario-MoE, 2012)) were measured for beryllium, cadmium, chromium, iron, manganese and nickel (in PM10). Iron, manganese and nickel, most associated with particulates at the industrial station, were in frequent exceedance. Beryllium—concentrated in coarse PM (PM2.5-10) with only a single measured exceedance at the mixed background station likely poses minimal threat to the health of the nearby population. Cadmium—concentrated in fine PM which peaked once only at the rural station was likely due to an irregular event within a narrow timeframe during the time of sampling. Iron and manganese were frequently above the Canadian public health threshold, but predominated in the coarse PM fraction, suggesting localised sources. Nickel, concentrated in the fine PM fraction, was frequently in exceedance particularly at the industrial station. Cadmium and nickel are genotoxic and should be regulated in order to reduce the burden of toxic carcinogens to which the population can be exposed.

Retention Factors for Trace Metal Elements in Solid Phase and Applicable Adsorption Models: Case of <i>Moringa oleifera</i>

Moringa oleifera is an edible plant cultivated throughout the tropical belt. It belongs to the family Moringaceae and is one of its 14 known species. This paper presents a synthesis of the main factors responsible for the retention of trace metal elements (TMEs) by Moringa oleifera seed powder, a natural adsorbent. The five main factors studied are metal concentration, solution pH, adsorbent particle size, adsorbent dose and adsorbent/adsorbate contact time. Through these factors, we present the optimal conditions for removal of these TMEs, as well as adsorption isotherm models appropriate for the conditions of retention of these metal cations by the adsorbent. The times of 20 min (GD) and 50 min (GND) are the equilibrium times obtained in our study. An optimal adsorbent mass (GD and GND powders) of 4.5 g was found. 20% to 97% abatement is observed for average pH values between 6 and 8. The coefficients of determination (R2) obtained (0.972, 0.963, 0.991 and 0.799) during the isotherm experiments carried out at 20°C, 30°C, 40°C and 50°C are close to 1. Also, the separation factor (RL), an essential characteristic of the Langmuir isotherm whose values are between 0 and 1, attest to the applicability of the Langmuir isotherm model to fit the experimental data of copper adsorption by Moringa powders. In this paper, we are particularly interested in the following TMEs (Mn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Cd, Co, Pb, Fe, Zn, Ag).

Microbial Activity Indices: Sensitive Soil Quality Indicators for Trace Metal Stress

Physicochemical properties, total and DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid)-extractable Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd contents, microbial biomass carbon (C) content and the organic C mineralization rate of the soils in a long-term trace metal-contaminated paddy region of Guangdong, China were determined to assess the sensitivity of microbial indices to moderately metal-contaminated paddy soils. The mean contents of total Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd were 251, 250, 171, and 2.4 mg kg-1 respectively. DTPA-extractablc metals were correlated positively and significantly with total metals, CEC, and organic C (except for DTPA-extractable Cd), while they were negatively and highly significantly correlated with pH, total Fe and Mn. Metal stress resulted in relatively low ratios of microbial biomass C to organic C and in remarkable inhibition of the microbial metabolic quotient and C mineralization rate, which eventually led to increases in soil organic C and C/N. Moreover, microbial respiratory activity showed a stronger correlation to DTPA-extractable metals than to total metal content. Likewise, in the acid paddy soils some "linked" microbial activity indices, such as metabolic quotient and ratios of basal respiration to organic C, especially during initial incuba.tion, were found to be more sensitive indicators of soil trace metal contamination than microbial biomass C or basal respiration alone.

Geochemical Baseline and Trace Metal Pollution of Soil in Panzhihua Mining Area

A total of 31 topsoil samples were systematically collected from the Panzhihua mining area including steel smelting, coal mining, urban and rural districts. A normalization procedure was adopted to establish the environmental geochemical baseline models for this area. By using the above baseline models, the regional geochemical baseline values of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined. On the basis of the baselines, the enrichment factors were used to analyze the mechanism of trace metal pollution in topsoil from anthropogenic sources, and the results showed that the serious trace metal pollution is caused by human activities in coal mine, iron mine, smelting factory, tailing dam and other industrial districts in the Panzhihua area.