Pollution characteristics of toxic metals in topsoil of small and medium-sized cities in mountainous areas of loess plateau in china——A case study of Guyuan

Abstract

Urban soils are subjected to large number of pollutants (including toxic metals). This study investigated the urban soil environmental quality of Guyuan (a typical mountainous city in the Loess Plateau of northwestern China) by determining the concentrations of eight toxic metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Mn, and Co) in urban topsoil as well as their potential sources. The toxic metal contents in the urban topsoil of Guyuan were generally less than those of other cities in northwestern China. Majority of the metals were highly concentrated in commercial and residential areas at the centre of Guyuan and the industrial region in southeastern Guyuan. The results of our study can contribute towards controlling, managing, and preventing soil pollution, as well as implementing safe layouts for the development of mountainous cities from the planning stage itself.