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.

Assessment and mapping of environmental quality in agricultural soils of Zhejiang Province, China

Heavy metal concentrations in agricultural soils of Zhejiang Province were monitored to indicate the status of heavy metal contamination and assess environmental quality of agricultural soils. A total of 908 soil samples were collected from 38 counties in Zbejiang Province and eight heavy metal （Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Ni and As） concentrations had been evaluated in agricultural soil. It was found 775 samples were unpolluted and 133 samples were slightly polluted and more respectively, that is approximately 14.65% agricultural soil samples had the heavy metal concentration above the threshold level in this province by means of Nemerow＇s synthetical pollution index method according to the second grade of Standards for Soil Environmental Quality of China （GB15618- 1995）. Contamination of Cd was the highest, followed by Ni, As and Zn were lower correspondingly. Moreover, Inverse Distance Weighted （IDW） interpolation method was used to make an assessment map of soil environmental quality based on the Nemerow＇s pollution index and the soil environmental quality was categorized into five grades. Moreover, ten indices were calculated as input parameters for principal component analysis （PCA） and the principal components （PCs） were created to compare environmental quality of different soils and regions. The results revealed that environmental quality of tea soils was better than that of paddy soils, vegetable soils and fruit soils. This study indicated that GIS combined with multivariate statistical approaches proved to be effective and powerful tool in the mapping of soil contamination distribution and the assessment of soil environmental quality on provincial scale, which is beneficial to environmental protection and management decision-making by local government.

Spatial Distribution of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils of an Industry-Based Peri-Urban Area in Wuxi, China

In industry-oriented peri-urban areas, the heavy metal accumulation in soils caused by industrialization has become a potential threat. The top soil samples from 27 paddy fields and 75 vegetable fields were collected from a typical industry- based peri-urban area of about 8 km^2 in Wuxi, China, to study the accumulation and distribution of As, Hg, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cd in comparison with heavy metal contents in soils near developed industrial sites （Guangzhou, China; Wallsend Burn of Tyneside, UK; and Osnabrück, Germany）. Kriging interpolation was used to determine the metals, spatial distribution. The results showed that most soils, compared to the background values, contained elevated contents of As, Hg, Cu, Zn, and Pb with some having elevated contents of Cd and Cr. Except for less than 10% of the soil samples of Cu, Zn and Cd contents, these heavy metal contents were lower than the soil threshold levels of the Grade Ⅱ criteria for the Chinese environmental quality standard. Probably, because of the scattered distribution and diversity of industries in the study area, spatial distributions of these heavy metals from Kriging interpolation indicated little similarity. Nevertheless, when compared with other areas in the Taihu Lake region, mean contents of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd were relatively high in the Wuxi peri-urban area. Additionally, compared to soils in agricultural areas around Guangzhou, Osnabrück, or Wallsend Burn, contents of most heavy metals in soils from this area were lower.

Nitrogen cycling and environmental impacts in upland agricultural soils in North China： A review

The upland agricultural soils in North China are distributed north of a line between the Kunlun Mountains, the Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River. They occur in arid, semi-arid and semi-humid regions and crop production often depends on rain-fed or irrigation to supplement rainfall. This paper summarizes the characteristics of gross nitrogen（N） transformation, the fate of N fertilizer and soil N as well as the N loss pathway, and makes suggestions for proper N management in the region. The soils of the region are characterized by strong N mineralization and nitrification, and weak immobilization and denitrification ability, which lead to the production and accumulation of nitrate in the soil profile. Large amounts of accumulated nitrate have been observed in the vadose-zone in soils due to excess N fertilization in the past three decades, and this nitrate is subject to occasional leaching which leads to groundwater nitrate contamination. Under farmer＇s conventional high N fertilization practice in the winter wheat-summer maize rotation system（N application rate was approximately 600 kg ha–1 yr–1）, crop N uptake, soil residual N, NH_3 volatilization, NO_3~– leaching, and denitrification loss accounted for around 27, 30, 23, 18 and 2% of the applied fertilizer N, respectively. NH_3 volatilization and NO_3~– leaching were the most important N loss pathways while soil residual N was an important fate of N fertilizer for replenishing soil N depletion from crop production. The upland agricultural soils in North China are a large source of N_2O and total emissions in this region make up a large proportion（approximately 54%） of Chinese cropland N_2O emissions. The “non-coupled strong ammonia oxidation” process is an important mechanism of N_2O production. Slowing down ammonia oxidation after ammonium-N fertilizer or urea application and avoiding transient high soil NH4＋ concentrations are key measures for reducing N_2O emissions in this region. Further N management should aim to minimize N losses from crop and livestock production, and increase the recycling of manure and straw back to cropland. We also recommend adoption of the 4 R（Right soure, Right rate, Right time, Right place） fertilization techniques to realize proper N fertilizer management, and improving application methods or modifying fertilizer types to reduce NH_3 volatilization, improving water management to reduce NO_3~– leaching, and controlling the strong ammonia oxidation process to abate N_2O emission. Future research should focus on the study of the trade-off effects among different N loss pathways under different N application methods or fertilizer products.

Heavy metal concentrations of agricultural soils and vegetables from Dongguan, Guangdong

A total of 118 of agricultural soil and 43 of vegetable samples were collected from Dongguan City, Guangdong, China. The spatial distribution, sources, accumulation characteristics and potential risk of heavy metals in the agricultural soils and vegetables were depicted in details by three different approaches, including total contents of eight metal elements in soils and vegetables, GIS maps and multivariate analysis of heavy metals in soils in the study. The results show that there are higher accumulation of heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd and Hg in agricultural soils, and the contents of Pb （65.38 mg kg^-1） and Hg （0.24 mg kg^-1） are 1.82 and 2.82 times of the background contents of the corresponding heavy metals in soils of Guangdong Province, respectively. There are about 3.4% of Cu, 5.9% of Ni, 1.7% of Cd and 28% of Hg in all collected soil samples from all investigated sites which have overran the contents for heavy metals of the China Environmental Quality Standard for Soils （GB15618-1995, Grade Ⅱ）. The pollution characteristics of multi-metals in soils are mainly reflected by Hg. There are different sources to eight metal elements in soils, Cu, Zn, Ni Cr and As are predominantly derived from parent materials, and Pb, Hg and Cd are affected by anthropogenic activities. The spatial distribution shows that the Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb, As and Hg contents of agricultural soils are high in the west and low in the east, and Cd contents are high in the northwest, southeast and low in the southwest in Dongguan. The ratios of vegetable samples which Ni, Pb and As concentrations higher than the Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods （GB2762-2005） are 4.7%, 16.3% and 48.8%, respectively. The order of bio-concentration factors （BCF） of heavy metals in vegetables is Cd 〉 Zn 〉 Cu 〉 As 〉 Ni 〉 Hg 〉 Cr 〉 Pb. It is necessary to focus on potential risk of heavy metals for food safety and human＇s health from agricultural soils and vegetables in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province.

Residual Levels and New Inputs of Chlorinated POPs in Agricultural Soils from Taihu Lake Region

Selected persistent organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), including 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and its principal metabolites 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)e- thane (DDD), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and its isomers (α-,β-, γ-, and δ-HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), endo- sulfan, dieldrin, and endrin were quantified to determine current levels of organochlorine pesticides, to assess the eco- toxicological potential, and to distin…

Assessment of selenium pollution in agricultural soils in the Xuzhou District,Northwest Jiangsu, China

Xuzhou City is an important base for coal production and coal-fired power. To evaluate selenium contamination in this area, we sampled agricultural soil, soil profile, irrigation water, bedrock, coal, fly ash, paddy rice, and vegetables from the north of Xuzhou City, and determined their selenium contents. The background level of selenium in the soil profile was 0.08 mg/kg. The selenium concentrations in agricultural soils and irrigation water were in the range of 0.21-4.08 mg/kg and 0.002-0.29 mg/L, respectively. Soils with high selenium content were located closely to coalmines and power plants. The average selenium concentrations in coal and coal fly ash were 5.46 and 2.81 mg/kg, respectively. In contrast, the concentrations of selenium in bedrock and in the soil profile were very low. These results imply that the high selenium level in agricultural soils is mainly caused by anthropogenic activities, rather than by parent material. The arithmetic mean of selenium concentration in paddy rice was 0.116 mg/kg, and in cabbage was 0.05 mg/kg. The selenium concentration in rice was positively correlated with total selenium concentration in soil, suggesting that selenium in soil is readily transferred into the crops. Furthermore, the estimated dietary intake （88.8 μg） of selenium from paddy rice and cabbage exceeds the recommended dietary allowance （55 μg）. Therefore, there is a potential health risk from consumption of local staple food in the study area.

Assessment on heavy metals pollution of agricultural soil in Guanzhong District

The monitored soil samples were collected from Heihui irrigated area, Jiaokou irrigated area, Qianhe river valley and Jinghe river valley （hereafter Heihui, Jiaokou, Qianhe and Jinghe for short respectively） of Guanzhong District. According to the Environment Quality Standard for Soil （GB 15618-1995II）, we evaluated the pollution status of heavy metals （Cd, As, Cr and Pb） that could seriously endanger soil environment and human health by using single-factor index and synthetic pollution index methods. The results indicate that the synthetic pollution indices P of soil heavy metals are less than 0.7 in Heihui, Jiaokou, Qianhe and Jinghe of Guanzhong, the single-factor indices Pi of soil heavy metals of most soil samples are less than 0.7, so the soil environmental quality is in a good condition in Guanzhong on the whole; the enrichment degree of soil heavy metals is in the order of Heihui, Jinghe, Qianhe and Jiaokou; the contaminated degree of soil heavy metals has the feature of Cd 〉 As 〉 Cr 〉 Pb; heavy metals contents in the cultivated horizon soil are generally higher than those in its underlayer soil, heavy metals contents of soil have the characteristic of enriching towards the cultivated horizon; Cd exceeds standard in the soil samples HS07a, b and HS08a, b at the Yangtao orchard in Heihui and in the soil sample QHS01a at the suburban vegetable plot in Qianhe, which was mainly caused by the long-term irrational use of chemical fertilizer and pesticide.

Spatial and temporal variation of nitrogen exported by runoff from sandy agricultural soils

The eutrophication problem has drawn attention to nutrient leaching from agricultural soils, and an understanding of spatial and temporal variability is needed to develop decision-making tools. Thus, eleven sites were selected to monitor, over a two-year period, spatial and temporal variation of runoff discharge and various forms of N in surface runoff in sandy agricultural soils. Factors influencing the variation of runoff discharge and various forms of N in surface runoff were analyzed. Variation of annual rainfall was small among 11 sites, especially between 2001 and 2002. However, variation of annual discharge was significant among the sites. The results suggest that rainfall patterns and land use had significant effect on discharge. The concentrations of total N, total kjeldahl N （TKN）, organic matter-associated N （OM-N）, NO3- -N, and NHn＋-N in the runoff ranged widely from 0.25 to 54.1, 0.15 to 20.3, 0.00 to 14.6, 0.00 to 45.3, and 0.00 to 19.7 mg/L, respectively. Spatial and temporal variations in the N concentration and runoff discharge were noted among the different sites. Annual loads of N in the runoff varied widely among monitoring sites and depend mainly on runoff discharge. High loads of total N, OM-N, NO3--N, and NHn＋-N in the runoff either in citrus groves or on vegetable farms occurred from June to October for each year, which coincided with the rainy season in the region. This study found that N in surface runoff was related to rainfall intensity, soil N level, and fertilizer use.

Assessment on environmental quality of heavy metals in agricultural soils of Chongming Island, Shanghai City

The environmental quality of heavy metals （Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Hg） in agricultural surface soil of Chongming Island was assessed by national, local and professional standards based on a large scale investigation, in which 28 samples from vegetable plots, 65 samples from paddy fields and 9 samples from watermelon fields were collected from whole island area. Results showed that the average concentration of Pb, Cd, Cr, As and Hg was 21.6 mg.kg^-l,0.176 mg.kg^-1, 69.4 mg.kg^-1, 9.209 mg.kg^-1 and 0.128 mg.kg^-1, respectively. Compared with the background value of Shanghai City soil, except for Pb and Cr, all the other heavy metals average concentrations in Chongming Island agricultural surface soil exceeded their corresponding natural-background values. The concentrations of Cd, As and Hg were 33.0%, 1.2% and 26.3% higher than the background value of Shanghai City, respectively. In addition, inverse distance interpolation （IDW） tool of GIS was also applied to study the spatial variation of heavy metals. The results indicated that most of agricultural soil quality was good, and the ratio of ecological, good soil, certified soil and disqualified soil were 1.26%, 97.1%, 1.47% and 0.12%, respectively. About 10.1%, 85.7%, 27.0%, 55.4% and 55.2% soil samples exceeded the Pb, Cd, Cr, As and Hg background value of Shanghai City, respectively. Among these three land use type soils, vegetable soil was most seriously polluted by heavy metals, which is probably related to the over-application of pesticides. The annual deposition fluxes of Pb, Cd, As and Hg were 7736μg·m^-2·a^-1, 208μg·m^-2·a^-1, 2238μg·m^-2·a^-1 and 52.8 μg·m^-2·a^-1 respectively. Crop straw burning was the important source of heavy metals of atmospheric deposition, and atmospheric deposition contributed a lot to heavy metals in agricultural soil in Chongming Island.

N_2O emissions from agricultural soils in the North China Plain: the effect of chemical nitrogen fertilizer and organic manure

An enclosed chamber technique was used to measure N 2O emissions from intensively agricultural soils of the North China Plain during the periods of 1995—1996 and 1997—1998, to reflect distinct components of winter wheat and summer maize growing seasons. The results showed that the continuous application of fertilizer in agricultural soils increased N\-2O emissions by a factor of 24.1—28.1, the calculated annual chemical N fertilizer\|transformed N\-2O\|N emissions was 0.67%. Our results indicated that the application of organic manure also had a significant influence on soil N 2O emissions, which combined with the use of chemical N increased about 20% in a year. It was calculated that there were about 0.11% N of organic manure transformed as N 2O N. Annual mean N 2O emission from our study area of fertilized soils was estimated to be 57.1 μgN 2O/(m 2·h). A weak correlation was also found between N 2O emissions and soil available nitrogen content NH + 4.

Spatial distribution of heavy metals of agricultural soils in Dongguan, China

Distribution and speciation of heavy metals of agricultural soils(85 surface soil samples and 4 soil profiles) in Dongguan were investigated, while total Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn(abbreviated as Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) and available Cu, Zn(Av-Cu, Av-Zn) were analyzed by a flame absorption spectrophotometer(AAS), and total Cd(Cd) was analyzed using graphite furnace AAS. The content of Cd, Cu and Ni was partially much more than the second grade of GB15618-1995 even though the mean contents of all heavy metal were less than the threshold value of the second grade and only the mean content of Pb was more than the value of national background. Results of descriptive statistic showed that the mean content of heavy metals should depend on land utilization and spatial location at some extent. The heavy metal contents were higher in the Southwest and Northwest than in the Central. In addition, the mean contents of Zn and Pb in Dongguan paddy soils were significantly higher than those of Pearl River Delta(PRD) and Taihu Lake region(TLR). Correlation analyses indicated that there existed significant correlation between Cr and Ni in orchard soils, and among Zn, Cd and Cu, between Av-Cu and Cu, between Av-Zn and Cr, Ni, pH value in vegetable soils, and a weak relationship between Cd, Cu and Pb, between Av-Zn and Zn. Principal component analyses(PCA) showed that the order of importance should be Zn>Pb>Cr>Ni>Cu.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Agricultural Soils of the Southern Subtropics,China

The contributions of persistent organic pollutants （POPs） from the subtropical regions of China to pollution of the global environment have been paid great attention; however, little is known about the state of POPs in agricultural ecosystems within these regions of China. This study primarily revealed the state of the contamination and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAH） in agricultural soils in the subtropical regions. 115 surface soils （0-20 cm） were sampled in the breadbaskets of these regions. The concentrations and types of PAH were determined using gas chromatography linked to mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. The total PAH concentrations ranged from 22.1 to 1 256.9 ng g^-1 with a mean of 318.2 ± 148.2 ng g^-1. In general terms, the current PAH concentrations were lower than most PAH levels reported in a number of investigations from different countries and regions. PAH isomer ratios indicated that pyrolytic origins, such as fossil fuel combustion related to vehicle tail gas and industrial emissions, were the dominant sources of PAH in the southern subtropical areas of China. Although PAH concentrations decreased with decreasing pollution, population, and traffic density, to a great extent PAH compositions were similar throughout subtropical soils, with naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and benzo（b）fluoranthene being dominant.

Estimation of Some Chemical Properties of an Agricultural Soil by Spectroradiometric Measurements

The contents of nitrogen and organic carbon in an agricultural soil were analyzed using reflectance measurements （n = 52） performed with an ASD FieldSpee-Ⅱ spectroradiometer. For parameter prediction, empirical models based on partial least squares （PLS） regression were defined from the measured reflectance spectra （0.4 to 2.4 μm）. Here, reliable estimates were obtained for nitrogen content, but prediction accuracy was only moderate for organic carbon. For nitrogen, the real spatial pattern of within-field variability was reproduced with high accuracy. The results indicate the potential of this method as a quick screening tool for the spatial assessment of nitrogen and organic carbon, and therefore an appropriate alternative to time- and cost-intensive chemical analysis in the laboratory.

Monitoring the Heavy Element of Cr in Agricultural Soils Using a Mobile Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy System with Support Vector Machine

Due to its complicated matrix effects, rapid quantitative analysis of chromium in agricultural soils is difficult without the concentration gradient samples by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. To improve the analysis speed and accuracy, two calibration models are built with the support vector machine method： one considering the whole spectra and the other based on the segmental spectra input. Considering the results of the multiple linear regression analysis, three segmental spectra are chosen as the input variables of the support vector regression （SVR） model. Compared with the results of the SVR model with the whole spectra input, the relative standard error of prediction is reduced from 3.18% to 2.61% and the running time is saved due to the decrease in the number of input variables, showing the robustness in rapid soil analysis without the concentration gradient samples.

Relationship between light and heavy fractions of organic matter for several agricultural soils in China

Although numerous studies about the nature and turnover of soil organic matter（SOM） in light and heavy fractions（ LFOM and HFQM, respectively） have been made, little information is available in relation to the relationship between LFQM and HFOM, and no attempts have been made to quantify a general relationship between LFQM and HFQM for agricultural soils under field condition. Qur hypothesis is there may be an inherent relationship between LFQM and HFQM for agricultural soils under certain unaltered management practices for a long period, to this end, we therefore studied typically soils taken from different parts in China by using a simple density fractionation procedure. The results indicated that LFQM was positively correlated with LFOM/HFOM ratio for three typical soils. This information will be of particular use not only in deepening our understanding of the dynamics of SQM fractions but also in evaluating the potential of agricultural soils to sequestrate C under different management practices in a long term.

Competitive adsorption of Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb by agricultural soils of the Changjiang and Zhujiang deltas in China

Soils can often be contaminated simultaneously by more than one heavy metal. The sorption-desorption behavior of a metal in a soil will be affected by the presence of other metals. Therefore, selective retention and competitive adsorption of the soils to heavy metals can affect their availability and movement through the soils. In this study, the simultaneous competitive adsorption of four heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb) on ten agricultural soils collected from the Changjiang and Zhujiang deltas, China was assessed. The results showed that the competition affected the behavior of heavy metal cations in such a way that the soils adsorbed less Cd and Hg, and more Pb and Cu with increasing total metal concentrations, regardless of the molar concen- tration applied. As the applied concentrations increased, Pb and Cu adsorption increased, while Cd and Hg adsorption decreased. The adsorption sequence most found was Pb>Cu>Hg>Cd. The maximum adsorption capacity for the heavy metal cations was calculated, and affected markedly by soil properties. The results suggest that Hg and Cd have higher mobility associated to the lower adsorption and that Pb and Cu present the opposite behavior. Significant correlations were found between the maximum adsorption capacity of the metals and pH value and exchangeable acid, suggesting that soil pH and exchangeable acid were key factors controlling the solubility and mobility of the metals in the agricultural soils.

Application of the ISCST3 model for predicting PCDD/F concentrations in agricultural soil in the vicinity of a MSWI plant in China

Based on the Industrial Source Complex Short-Term Version 3 （ISCST3） model, a simplified modeling approach was developed to predict concentrations of congeners of polychlorinated-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans （PCDD/Fs） of agricultural soil, within a radius of 3 kin from a municipal solid waste incinerator （MSWI） plant after its 4-year operation in Hangzhou, China. Comparisons were made between the measured and estimated congener-specific concentrations and the international-toxic equivalent （I-TEQ） values of soil samples with respect to distance from the stack. The results indicate that the predictions of soil PCDD/F concentrations and K-TEQ values were generally lower than their observations, and that the higher the degree of underestimation seems, the greater the further downwind one gets. Nevertheless, most of the predictions were in good agreement with the trend of measured ones and were within a factor of ten for samples located within 1 kin of the plant. Besides, analysis of contributions of various deposition pathways confirms that in addition to wet particle deposition, the dry gaseous deposition is essential for realistic prediction of PCDD/F depositions to soil, especially for tetra- and penta-chlorinated dioxins.

Characteristics and Development of Agricultural Soil in Hetao Irrigation District,Inner Mongolia

Hetao Irrigation District is located in the cold and arid region of Hetao Plain,Inner Mongolia,where the agricultural soil has unique characteristics.Although the agricultural soil properties in Hetao Irrigation Districts have been reported,the overall characteristics remain unclear.Through literature review and investigation,the overall characteristics,development patterns,and related reasons were explored,consequently providing theoretical support for enhancing soil utilization and formulating sustainable soil development strategies.The results showed that the agricultural soil in Hetao Irrigation District originated from the sedimentary layer and anthropogenic mellowing produced by the diversions of the Yellow River.The soil has periodic secondary salinization characteristics,accompanied by a slightly increasing pH value over time.It has low soil organic contents with a stable changing trend,low nitrogen,and phosphorus contents but high potassium and sulfur content,uneven nutrient distribution,diverse production performance,weak but stable ecological performance,and heterogeneous soil quality with a stable change trend.These findings indicate that this kind of soil can be used to plant diverse crops tolerant to different saline-alkali and requiring various nutrients.This agricultural soil is sustainable,but it is also faced with the problems of increased saline-alkali,nutrient loss,and pollution.

Assessment of the Quality of Sediments and Agricultural Soils: Case of the Ity-Floleu Area in the Prefecture of Zouan-Hounien, Western Côte d’Ivoire

The objective of this study is to assess the level of metal contamination of sediments and agricultural soils in the Ity-Floleu zone. The concentrations of trace elements (Fe, Mn, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) were measured in different seasons over two successive years. The sediment pollution index made it possible to note that the sediments and agricultural soils of the various stations studied are highly polluted in all seasons. The calculation of the geoaccumulation index indicates that surface water sediments most often experience extreme or moderate pollution in As, Cd, Cu, Hg and Zn in the dry or rainy season except in Pb in some cases. We observed that the sediments of the Cavally river present a serious pollution due to extreme anthropic activities carried out along the river. Over the entire region, the results of the potential ecological risk index (RI) indicate that all the sediments and agricultural soils analysed present a moderate ecological risk in terms of Pb and Zn in certain cases and an ecological risk is observed low bound to other metals in all seasons. This metallic pollution generated by human activities in this region can have consequences for the environment and biodiversity.