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.

Microbial Remediation of Heavy Metal(loid)Contaminated Soil: A Review

Because of the rapid development of industrial processes, increased urban pollution and agricultural chemicals applied in recent years, heavy metal(loid) pollution in soil has been very serious, and there is an urgent need for fast and efficient removal of heavy metal(loid) pollution. Currently, environmental microorganisms are always used to perform biological alteration or improvement of soils and sewage. Using functional microorganisms that are resistant to toxic heavy metal(loid) ions for alteration and transformation of heavy metal(loid)s in ionic form is an effective measure for microbial remediation of heavy metal(loid)contaminated soil. This paper reviewed the microbial remediation mechanism of heavy metal(loid) contaminated soils, and the approaches for breeding bacteria those can be used for highly efficient removal of heavy metal(loid)s, as well as the application examples of microbial remediation and transformation of heavy metal(loid) contaminated soil, and finally described the future trends and further research work of heavy metal(loid) contaminated soils by microbial remediation.

Contamination and human health risk assessment of heavy metal(loid)s in topsoil and groundwater around mining and dressing factories in Chifeng,North China

Chifeng is a concentrated mining area for non-ferrous metal minerals,as well as a key prevention and control area for heavyduty enterprises.This situation necessitates an efective ecological and human health risk assessment of heavy metal(loid)s driven by the wide distribution of metal ore processing,mining,and smelting factories in Hexigten Banner and Bairin Left Banner.We conducted surveys to assess the levels of heavy metal(loid)s(Cr,As,Pb,Cd,and Hg)in the topsoil and groundwater of the areas.The results indicated that the concentrations of As,Cd,and Pb in partial soil samples exceeded the environmental quality standards of Grade II.Based on contamination assessments,such as geoaccumulation indices and pollution indices,we inferred that Cd,Pb,and As were primary pollutants in topsoil.Potential ecological risks when considered as part of the average risk indices(RI)are up to 1626.40 and 2818.76,respectively,in the two areas.Comparative analysis revealed that Cd posed a very high potential ecological risk,followed by As.Moreover,the evaluation showed that the three exposure pathways of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk followed a descending order:inhalation>ingestion>dermal contact,except for Pb.Arsenic in topsoil posed a potential non-carcinogenic risk to human health,while there were no adverse efects of As in groundwater.In addition,the average total carcinogenic risk for As in the two areas,as well as the risk of Pb in the topsoil of Bairin Left Banner and all the fve heavy metal(loid)s in groundwater,exceeded human tolerance.Pb–Zn mines caused higher human health risks.In addition,the tandem contamination of heavy metal(loid)s in soil and groundwater was not obvious.This research study provides a basis for pollution remediation to control heavy industry-induced ecological and health risks of heavy metal(loid)s.

Multiple assessments, source determination, and health risk apportionment of heavy metal(loid)s in the groundwater of the Shule River Basin in northwestern China

Global ecosystems and public health have been greatly impacted by the accumulation of heavy metal(loid)s in water.Source-specific risk apportionment is needed to prevent and manage potential groundwater contamination with heavy metal(loid)s.The heavy metal(loid)s contamination status,water quality,ecological risk,and health risk apportionment of the Shule River Basin groundwater are poorly understood.Therefore,field sampling was performed to explore the water quality and risk of heavy metal(loid)s in the groundwater of the Shule River Basin in northwestern China.A total of 96 samples were collected from the study area to acquire data for water quality and heavy metal(loid)s risk.There was noticeable accumulation of ferrum in the groundwater of the Shule River Basin.The levels of pollution were considered to be moderately low,as evaluated by the degree of contamination,heavy metal evaluation index,heavy metal pollution index,and Nemerow pollution index.The ecological risks were also low.However,an assessment of the water quality index revealed that only 58.34%of the groundwater samples had good water quality.The absolute principal component scores-multiple linear regression model was more suited for this study area than the positive matrix factorization model.There were no obvious noncarcinogenic or carcinogenic concerns for all types of receptors according to the values of the total hazard index and total carcinogenic risk.The human activities and the initial geological environment factor(65.85%)was the major source of noncarcinogenic risk(residential children:87.56%;residential adults:87.52%;recreational children:86.77%;and recreational adults:85.42%),while the industrial activity factor(16.36%)was the major source of carcinogenic risk(residential receptors:87.96%;and recreational receptors:68.73%).These findings provide fundamental and crucial information for reducing the health issues caused by heavy metal(loid)s contamination of groundwater in arid areas.

Assessment of the Level of Metal(loid)s Pollution and Bioactive Compounds Screening of Anthill Soil

The anthill soil is used by hypertensive elderly and teenagers from Oshikoto region (Namibia) and many of them testified stabilization of their blood pressure to normal after consuming the anthill soil-derived aqueous extracts. This study therefore investigated and/or assessed the physicochemical parameters, the contents of some metal(loid)s (and their associated potential health risks) and the qualitative composition of bioactive compounds of this anthill soil. The homogenous soil sample collected from various anthill soils in the Oshikoto region was used to obtain the measurements of physiochemical parameters. The elemental contents were determined (using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometer) after acid digestion in accordance with the EPA method 350B and their potential health risk assessments were performed. Methanol, aqueous methanol, and aqueous-based extracts were generated via maceration extraction process prior to the screening of bioactive compounds using standard diagnostic assays. The oxidation reduction potential (164.4 ± 16.6 mV) was the only physicochemical parameter whose value was within the World Health Organization limits for drinking water whereas, total dissolved solids (23 ± 5.5 mg/L), electrical conductivity (44 ± 10.1 uS/cm) and pH (5.35 ± 0.33) were out of specifications. Phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides were present in anthill soil (with respect to the extractants used) to which its antihypertensive properties can be attributed in addition to some of the studied mineral components. With respect to the pH, TDS and EC, and the contents of most metal(loid)s in relation to their health risk assessment values, the results suggest that aqueous extracts derived from this anthill soil can be deemed unsuitable for human consumption.

Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Metal Removal from Contaminated Aqueous Solutions by Solid Bidentate Ligands&Liquid Plant Materials

Heavy metal contaminated water sources pose serious health risks for humans,animals,and plants.Exposure to and ingestion of heavy metals have been associated to liver,kidney,and brain function.Objective:The aim of this research is to comparatively examine the metal removal efficacy of three solid bidentate chemicals and four plant materials.Study Design&Methods:Standard solutions of zinc(II)and lead(II)ions with concentrations of 1,000 ppm were respectively treated with OA(Oxalic Acid),dibasic bidentate ligands(sodium hydrogen phosphate and sodium carbonate).Then,the solutions were placed on a shaker for 15 h,centrifuged,and the supernatant was analyzed using ICP-AES(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry).Results:All the solid bidentate adsorbents were very effective in removing zinc and lead(>90%).However,more lead than zinc was removed across all adsorbents except for lemon where equal percent of zinc and lead(49%)were removed.OA and Na2HPO4 removed about equal amount of lead(>99%).The plant materials(SP(Spinach),bell pepper and GBP(Green Bell Pepper)),respectively and preferentially removed more lead(98.9%,98.3%,81.5%)than zinc(91.7%,46%,46%).Conclusion:Although plant materials have gained attraction for the remediation of heavy metal,however,some bidentate chemical ligands such as OA,sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen phosphates are even more effective in removing these metals from contaminated water.Furthermore,heavier metals are preferentially removed than lighter metals.

Distribution, Mobility, and Health Risks Assessment of Trace Metals in River Sediments from Intense Agricultural Activity Areas in West Africa

The economy of West African countries is mainly based on agriculture. However, the trace metal(loid)s contamination status in rivers is relatively unknown in the region. In this work, 45 surface sediments collected from the Bandama, Comoé, and Bia Rivers in south and south eastern Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa), were analyzed for total metal concentrations and chemical speciation. The results showed that the river sediments were considerably contaminated by Cd and moderately contaminated by As, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Significant spatial variations were observed among the stations but not between the rivers. Metals Cd and Cu were likely to cause more ecological risks. The speciation analysis unravelled that the metal(loid)s partitioned mainly in the residual fraction, with the potential mobile fraction varying from 14% to 28%. The study calls for establishment of strict policies relative to the application of fertilizers and agrochemicals and mining activities to protect the environment and human health risks.

Effects of Red Mud on the Remediation of Pb, Zn and Cd in Heavy Metal Contaminated Paddy Soil

[Objective] To study the remediation efficiency of red mud on Pb, Zn and Cd in the heavy metal contaminated paddy soil of mine area, to clarify its remediation mechanism and fertilizer efficiency on heavy metal contaminated soil. [Method] The soil incubation experiment was conducted to study the effect of red mud on the pH values and electrical conductivity （EC）, and the remediation efficiency of red mud on lead （Pb）, zinc （Zn） and cadmium （Cd） in heavy metal contaminated soil. [Result] Red mud addition reduced the content of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil significantly. Compared with the control, when incubated for 30, 60 and 90 d with the red mud dosage of 4% （W/W）, the exchangeable Pb content was decreased by 39.25%, 41.38% and 50.19%; exchangeable Zn content was decreased by 49.26%, 57.32% and 47.16%; and exchangeable Cd content was decreased by 19.53%, 24.06% and 25.70%, respectively. The application of red mud had significant impact on the share of Pb, Zn and Cd contents in five forms, and different amounts of red mud application all reduced the proportion of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd to the total Pb, Zn and Cd. In addition, the proportion of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd to total Pb, Zn and Cd decreased with the increasing amount of red mud addition. [Conclusion] The study provided references for reasonable application of red mud and reduction of heavy metal pollution in paddy soil.

Study Progress in Remediation of Soil Contaminated by Heavy Metals and Its Application Prospect

Flax is an ideal crop for remedying soil contaminated by heavy metals. It has high tolerance to heavy metals and strong adsorption to heavy metals. Through properly using or adjusting external conditions such as regulator, moisture, fertilizer, microorganisms, and pH value, it is able to improve ability of flax to absorb, trans- fer, and accumulate heavy metals. To improve the ability of flax in remediating heavy metal contaminated soil, it is recommended to strengthen cultivation of flax varieties and screening of germplasm resources, actively carry out studies on tech- nologies of fax remedying heavy metal contaminated soil, implement large-scale and mechanized planting of flax, and promote control of heavy metal contaminated soil.

Advances in Microbial Remediation on the Application of Heavy Metal Pollution in Agricultural Water Resources

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural water resources is very serious in re- cent years, resulting in large losses of the agricultural economy and endangering human life and health. Due to the advantages of low cost, high efficiency and less secondary pollution, microbial ramediation technology is widely used in the treatment of heavy metal pollution in agricultural water resources. At present, with the progress of modern biotechnology, microbial remediation of heavy metals in agricul- tural water resources has grown rapidly. The sources and status quo of heavy met- al pollution in agricultural water resources at home and aboard, and the principles of microbial remediation of heavy metals pollution in agricultural water resources were reviewed in this paper, as well as the several common microbial remediation technology of heavy metals in agricultural water resources. Additionally, the further research work of heavy metal contaminated agricultural water resources by microbial ramediation were prospected.

Remediation of Steel Slag on Acidic Soil Contaminated by Heavy Metal

The technology of in situ immobilization with amendments is an important measure that remediates the soil contaminated by heavy metals, and selecting economical and effective amendments is the key. The effects and mechanism of steel slag, the silicon-rich alkaline byproduct which can remediate acidic soil contaminated by heavy metal, are mainly introduced in this paper to provide theory reference for future research. Firstly, the paper analyzes current research situation of in situ immobilization with amendments. Then, it introduces the main physicochemical properties of steel slag, and the effect on soil pH value as well as heavy metal activity. Besides, the paper elaborates the promoting effect on silicon-requiring plant and the strengthening mechanism for its resistant capability of heavy metal. According to the analysis, the application of steel slag could be a potential valuable strategy to remediate acidic soil contaminated by heavy metal by modifying the transformation of heavy metals in both soil and plant, so that the translocation of heavy metal in food chain is reduced.

Spatiotemporal simulation and predication of heavy metal(loid) concentrations in coal chemical industrial areas with a soil environmental capacity model

Heavy metal (loid)(HM) accumulation in the soil and the HM spatiotemporal distribution have important implication for soil pollution prevention and remediation. The present study investigated the concentrations and spatiotemporal distributions of lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) in the topsoil of a coal chemical plant in Ningxia Aulonomous region (Ningxia), China. Topsoil samples (/?= 153) were obtained using the checkerboard method, and the HM concentrations were determined. The soil residual rates of the five HMs were measured with leaching experinients and were applied in a soil environmental capacity model to predict the quarHitiHive variation of the HM concentrations. The predicted results were employed to estimate the HM spatiotemporal distribution within 2() years with the Kriging technique. The number of sampling sites, where all five HM concentratio ns exceed their corresponding background values in Ningxia, would be increased from 0 to 90% within 1() years of the plant operation. In addition, Pb and Cd were distributed along the traffic routes. Mercury and As were distributed near fuel gas emission vents. Chromium was mainly accumulated in slag dumps. The study may provide the theoretical and practical foun d at ion for future HM pollution control in coal chemical plants.

Heavy Metal Remediation in Sludge Compost: Recent Progress

The safe and efficient disposal and utilization of sludge are major issues to be solved in solid waste treatment and environmental protection due to the complex characteristics of sludge and the low rate of innocuous treatments.Composting is a process of decomposing organic matter and transformed low-molecular organic acids into high-molecular humus substances under the action of microorganisms.Although land-use after composting has become an important direction for sludge treatment,heavy metal pollution is still the bottleneck problem restrict-ing land use of sludge compost.Adding zeolite,hydroxyapatite,and other conditioning agents to the composting process affects the concentration or form of some heavy metals and effectively reduces the environmental risk.Lime and phosphorus modifiers change heavy metal speciation in samples,playing a role in decreasing biological availability and mobility.In this study,the effects of sludge composting treatment and conditioning agents on the concentrations and forms of heavy metals are reviewed.This review will provide a theoretical basis to treat heavy metals in sludge composting and lay the foundation for the land utilization and waste recycling of sludge.

Feasibility of Isolation Remediation Technology for Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil

This paper discussed current situations of researches about the isolation remediation technology " soil barrier and landfill technology" and " physical isolation remediation technology" for heavy metal contaminated soil in mining areas.In view of defects of current technologies,it introduced a new isolation remediation technology,of which the new isolation materials were mixed by slaked lime,soil,find sand,and clay mineral in certain proportion.The new isolation remediation technology is expected to realize isolation remediation of heavy metal combined pollution of soil through chemical passivation of slaked lime and physical adsorption function of clay minerals or activated carbons.

Performance of Metal and Acid Ions Remediation in Contaminated Soils by Electrokinetics with Chitosan Permeable Reactive Barrier

Metal and acid ions contamination of soil in China is serious. To find an efficient solution for remediating the combined pollution,electrokinetics( EK) coupled with chitosan( CTS)permeable reactive barrier( EK/CPRB) was used to investigate the performances of metal and acid ions remediation. Adsorption characteristics of Zn^(2+),Fe^(3+),Ca^(2+),SO_4^(2-) and NO_3^- onto CTS were also conducted. The results showed the sorption of Zn^(2+),Fe^(3+),Ca^(2+),SO_4^(2-) and NO_3^- on CTS could be well described by Freundlich model. When the CTS dosage is 8 g,the total removal efficiency for Zn^(2+),Fe^(3+),Ca^(2+),SO_4^(2-) and NO_3^- is 86. 8%,90. 2%,92. 4%,90. 0% and 82. 5%,respectively. CTS enhanced ions remediation efficiencies significantly compared with the single EK system,especially for SO_4^(2-) and NO_3^-. The results indicate EK/CPRB system is suitable for the remediation of soil contaminated by both metal ions and acid ions.

Photocatalytic removal of heavy metal ions and antibiotics in agricultural wastewater:A review

In recent years,the treatment of agricultural wastewater has been an important aspect of environmental protection.The purpose of photocatalytic technology is to degrade pollutants by utilizing solar light energy to stimulate the migration of photocarriers to the surface of photocatalysts and occur reduction-oxidation reaction with pollutants in agricultural wastewater.Photocatalytic technology has the characteristics of high efficiency,sustainability,low-energy and free secondary pollution.It is an environmental and economical method to recover water quality that only needs sunlight.In this paper,the mechanism and research progress of photocatalytic removal of heavy metal ions and antibiotics from agricultural water pollution were reviewed by combining photocatalytic degradation process with agricultural treatment technology.The mechanism of influencing factors of photocatalytic degradation efficiency was discussed in detail and corresponding strategies were proposed,which has certain reference value for the development of photocatalytic degradation.

Study of Remediation of Soil Contamined with Heavy Metals by Coal Fly Ash

The labile fraction of heavy metals in soils is the most important for toxicity for plants. Thus it is crucial to reduce this fraction in contamined soils to decrease the negative effect of heavy metals. In an experiment, the effects of two additives on the labile fractions of Cu, Mn and Zn were investigated in a soil contamined during long-term application. The additive used was the coal fly ash. The treated soil was further enriched with heavy metals and allowed to age at room temperature for 30 days. After this period, they were extracted plant-available (EDTA;HNO3;CH3COOH) metal species. The addition of fly ash strongly reduced the plant-available of Mn for plants but to a lesser extent this applies to the plant-available of Cu and Zn for plants. By addition of 1% of fly ash as well as 2% of fly ash, the labile fraction of Cu, Mn and Zn were lowered by 6.3, 145.0 and 29.7 mg?kg-1, respectively. Moreover essential correlation between total Cu and Zn contents was stated in the soil with plant-available content of metals, with reference to both metals. Value of coefficients of correlation is attesting to it between the total and plant-available Cu and Zn contents which are respectively equal: R(Cu) = 0.845, R(Mn) = 0.864 and R(Zn) = 0.872 for p = 99.5%. The results suggested that leading into the soil of the additional amount of fly ash can be an effective way of chemical remediation with reference to soils contaminated by Cu or Mn or Zn. Because he causes immobilization of examined heavy metals in the soil and in the process in the arrangement a—soil is limiting the availability of these metals plant and more distant bonds of the food chain.

Photocatalytic activity of metal nanoparticle-decorated titanium dioxide for simultaneous H_(2) production and biodiesel wastewater remediation

A set of metal nanoparticle-decorated titanium dioxide(Mx/TiO_(2);where x is the percent by mass,%)photocatalysts was prepared via the sol-immobilization in order to enhance the simultaneous hydrogen(H_(2))production and pollutant reduction from real biodiesel wastewater.Effect of the metal nanoparticle(NP)type(M=Ni,Au,Pt or Pd)and,for Pd,the amount(1%–4%)decorated on the surface of thermal treated commercial TiO_(2)(T_(400))was evaluated.The obtained results demonstrated that both the type and amount of decorated metal NPs did not significantly affect the pollutant reduction,measured in terms of the reduction of chemical oxygen demand(COD),biological oxygen demand(BOD)and oil&grease levels,but they affected the H_(2) production rate from both deionized water and biodiesel wastewater,which can be ranked in the order of Pt_(1)/T_(400)>Pd_(1)/T_(400)>Au_(1)/T_(400)>Ni_(1)/T_(400).This was attributed to the high difference in work function between Pt and the parent T400.However,the difference between Pt1/T400 and Pd1/T400 was not great and so from an economic consideration,Pd/TiO_(2) was selected as appropriate for further evaluation.Among the four different Pdx/TiO_(2) photocatalysts,the Pd3/TiO_(2) demonstrated the highest activity and gave a high rate of H_(2) production(up to 135 mmol·h−1)with a COD,BOD and oil&grease reduction of 30.3%,73.7%and 58.0%,respectively.

Contamination and Remediation of Heavy Metals in Soils near E-waste Recycling Area

In order to assess heavy metals pollution in agricultural soil after renovation in typical e-waste recycling areas, 212 soil samples were col- lected and the mass fractions of 7 kinds of heavy metals （Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn） were analyzed. The results indicated that heavy metals pollution in agricultural soil was commonly existed in the study areas, and the soil was slightly contaminated by Pb but was moderately or critically polluted by Cd and Cu. However, the carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk status by heavy metals pollution were beyond acceptable levels, and soil remediation was quite necessary. After some investigations of bioremediation, we found that saponin as washing agent could highly strenqthen the behavior of heavy metals desorption from soil ,which had a good prospect of engineering practice.

Remediation of Heavy Metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, and Ni) Ions from Kaolinite Clay Using Molecular Micelles Chelators and D-Optimum Experimental Design

This study investigated the potential utility of poly (sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucyl-valinate) (poly-L-SULV), poly (sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucyl-alanate) (poly-L-SULA), and poly (sodium N-undecanoyl-glycinate) (poly-SUG) molecular micelles (MMs) as chelators for heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, and Ni) ion remediation of kaolinite clay using D-optimum experimental design. D-optimum experimental design was employed to simultaneously investigate the influence of design variables such as the buffer pH, chelator concentration, and centrifuge speed to evaluate the optimum conditions and to reduce the time and cost of metal ion remediation. The partition coefficients of the metal ion concentrations between the kaolinite clay and chelator equilibrium were also evaluated. In addition, the influence of metal ion concentrations on the remediation capability of the chelators was evaluated by conducting remediation studies at four different (10 ppm, 40 ppm, 60 ppm, and 80 ppm) metal ion concentrations. In general, the results of the remediation efficiency and partition coefficients obtained in this study are highly metal ion dependent and also dependent upon the chelator used for the remediation. Specifically, the remediation efficiency of the molecular micelles was found to be comparable to or better than the corresponding remediation efficiency obtained when SDS or EDTA was used for the remediation. However, at optimum conditions, poly-SULV and poly-L-SULA molecular micelle chelators demonstrated superior remediation efficiencies for Cr, with remediation efficiency of 99.9 ± 8.7% and 99.1 ± 0.7%, respectively.