Pedosphere 25(6): 901--909, 2015
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2015 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils in Taiyuan, China |
LIU Yong , WANG Hui-Feng, LI Xiao-Ting and LI Jin-Chang |
| Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| To evaluate the current state of the environmental quality of agricultural soils in Taiyuan City, a hotspot for China’s industrial development, the concentrations of 8 heavy metals in soils were investigated by means of extensive sampling in farmlands, forestlands, and grasslands in the city. Statistical analyses and spatial distribution maps were used to identify the most significant heavy metal pollutants. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Cr were slightly higher than their background values in Taiyuan’s topsoil, but were lower than the maximum permissible concentrations in the Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for agricultural soils. Farmland soils in Taiyuan had the highest average Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn, and Cr concentrations, but the As and Ni concentrations did not differ significantly among the farmland, forestland, and grasslands. Soil contamination by Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn, and Cr was mainly derived from farming practices, especially the use of sewage water for irrigation. In contrast, As and Ni might derive mainly from the soil parent material. The identification of heavy metal sources in agricultural soils may provide a basis for taking appropriate action to protect soil quality. |
| Key Words: environmental pollution, farming practices, sewage irrigation, soil parent material, soil quality |
| Citation: Liu, Y., Wang, H. F., Li, X. T. and Li, J. C. 2015. Heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils in Taiyuan, China. Pedosphere. 25(6): 901-909. |
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