Evaluation of environmental and anthropogenic influences on ambient background metal and metalloid concentrations in soil

Mikkonen, Hannah G.; Dasika, Raghava; Drake, Jessica; Wallis, Christian J.; Clarke, Bradley O.; Reichman, Suzie M.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.131

Cited by 52 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…It is a major part of the Au and Fe mining activities, with sparse population and industry. Although serious toxic elements pollution of soils far from the sources of these metals is possible through atmospheric deposition, most of the important anthropogenic sources are local [ 33 , 34 ]. Therefore, it is indicated that the toxic element sources in the midwest and east may be different and should be analyzed separately.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The professional health risk assessment method published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has been widely used recently to assess the risk of pollutants in the environment to human health, which could help to protect public health [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. The sources of toxic elements are complex and can be divided into artificial and natural sources [ 33 ]. The typical anthropogenic inputs of toxic elements in farmland soil are wastewater irrigation, atmospheric deposition and the use of fertilizers and pesticides containing toxic elements in agricultural activities [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Human Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Elements in Farmland Topsoil with Source Identification in Jilin Province, China

Zhang

Cao

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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The presence of toxic elements in agricultural soils from anthropogenic activities is a potential threat to human health through the food chain. In this study, the concentration of toxic elements in 122 agricultural topsoil composite samples were determined in order to study the current status, identify their sources and assess the level of pollution and human health risk. The results showed that the mean concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Hg and As in the farmland topsoil were 21.72, 15.09, 36.08, 0.2451, 0.0378 and 4.957 mg·kg−1, respectively. The spatial distribution showed that the soils were mainly contaminated by Cd, Pb and Hg in midwest Jilin but by Cu and As in the east. According to the pollution index (Pi), Nemerow integrated pollution index (PN) and Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo), Cd and Pb were the main pollutants in the soils. The occurrence of these elements was caused by anthropogenic activities and they were concentrated in the Songyuan-Changchun-Siping economic belt. There is limited non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk to humans. Principal component analyses suggest the Pb, Cd and Hg soil contamination was mainly derived from anthropogenic activities in the Midwest, but all examined toxic elements in the east were mainly due to geogenic anomalies and came from atmospheric deposition.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Elements in Farmland Topsoil with Source Identification in Jilin Province, China

Zhang

Cao

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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“…The ability to evaluate the “natural” background for soils is disputed, as soils have been impacted upon by human activity elsewhere since at least the industrial revolution. The term “ambient background” is sometimes suggested to describe the local modified “background” in areas impacted upon by human activity, where the metal concentrations in soils and sediments are slightly elevated, but do not generate any identifiable health or environmental risks (Reimann and Garrett 2005; Mikkonen et al 2017, 2018). Finally, the term “geochemical baseline” has been suggested to approximate the present ambient background values (Wang et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ambient geochemical baselines for trace elements in Chernozems—approximation of geochemical soil transformation in an agricultural area

Łabaz

Kabała

Waroszewski

2018

Environ Monit Assess

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The legal regulatory/action levels of trace elements in soils are established at high concentrations, at which the crucial functions of soil are at risk or are eliminated. However, concentrations below these action levels, but above presumed natural levels, may also limit particular ecosystem services, including organic food production. Thus, defining the (ambient) background concentrations is an essential part of environmental or health risk assessment, e.g., on Chernozems, which are considered to be the most productive soils and ones that should be protected against all forms of contamination. Based on 28 profiles of chernozemic soils developed from loess in an agricultural region of SW Poland presumed to be free of industrial contamination, ambient geochemical baselines have been derived for Fe and six trace metals for four standardized soil layers, including the topsoil (plow layer) and parent material layers. The median values for the plow layer (1.89% for Fe, and 537, 49, 17, 14, and 26 mg kg−1 for Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, and Ni, respectively) are lower than the values reported for other Chernozems in SE Poland/Europe/the world, and thus may serve as a general geochemical baseline for chernozemic soils developed from loess. The concentration of Cd, although lower than in other Chernozems around the world, is higher than in Ukrainian Chernozems and thus may serve as a local (or Central European) baseline only. The median concentrations of Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn are very close to their concentrations in the Chernozem buried under the Neolithic kurgan. However, Pb and Cd concentrations are two times higher than in the buried soil, indicating the scale of general contamination of the topsoil horizons of arable soils. Concentrations of the elements under study, excluding Fe, in both the buried and surface soils are significantly higher in the topsoil layer compared to parent material (loess), and this justifies the separate baseline values for topsoil horizons, instead of background values derived universally for parent rock types. This is essential, in particular in soils texturally differentiated within profiles, where the subsoil material has a different origin and cannot be considered the parent material for topsoil horizons. Underlying or locally outcropped bedrock (e.g., serpentinite rocks) may naturally enhance the total concentration of trace elements in the entire soil profile by the addition of metal-rich regolith particles during the formation of surface covers, e.g., by eolian processes under periglacial conditions (Late Pleistocene). Such soils are naturally enriched with metals (with nickel in the case of serpentinite bedrock), cannot be considered contaminated, and thus require a separate legal treatment, including separate (or individually suited) background baselines for health risk assessments.

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“…The application of the regional geochemical baseline values proposed in this study will allow the rapid identification of sites that could be affected by pollution processes due to current mining exploitation in the area [3]. In addition, this information will also be very useful for a restoration plan to try to reproduce the environmental conditions that existed prior to mining [39,42].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical Baseline Values Determination and Evaluation of Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils of Lanping Mining Valley (Yunnan Province, China)

Deblon

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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The largest lead/zinc mine in China is located in Lanping mining valley. The real impact of mining activity on the Lanping mining valley has not been studied to date. This study aims to characterize the geochemical baseline values and risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in soils of a study area located in the Lanping mining valley including upstream, mining and downstream areas. The results showed that the mean soil pH value was 6.8, and organic matter was 34.3%, in surface layer of the mining area. The mean soil pH value in the upstream and downstream areas was less than 5.5. The concentrations of Pb and Zn in the mining area were 56 and 47 times above the world average, the concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cd in the upstream area were six, seven, and six times above the world average, and the concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cd in the downstream area were eight, eight, and 18 times above the world average, respectively. The proposed geochemical baseline values of Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd were 169.93, 31.81, 569.06 and 4.13 mg·kg−1, respectively. The pseudo total and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)-extractable concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cd showed similar tendency as follows: mining area > downstream area > upstream area. The contamination degree with the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and the improved Nemerow index (IIN) in the upstream and mining areas was non-contamination or slight contamination with low or moderate risk with the individual ecological risk index (Er) and the comprehensive potential ecological risk index (RI), although moderate or heavy contamination with pollution factor (Pi) and the Nemerow index (IN). The contamination degree with Igeo and IIN in the downstream area was non-contamination or extreme contamination with low or extreme risk with Er and RI. The results suggest that the IIN should be recommended to assess the soil contamination of heavy metals and the geochemical baseline values would be important for the environmental management and remediation of soils contaminated by heavy metals.

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Evaluation of environmental and anthropogenic influences on ambient background metal and metalloid concentrations in soil

Cited by 52 publications

References 68 publications

Human Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Elements in Farmland Topsoil with Source Identification in Jilin Province, China

Human Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Elements in Farmland Topsoil with Source Identification in Jilin Province, China

Ambient geochemical baselines for trace elements in Chernozems—approximation of geochemical soil transformation in an agricultural area

Geochemical Baseline Values Determination and Evaluation of Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils of Lanping Mining Valley (Yunnan Province, China)

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