A Comprehensive Exploration on Occurrence, Distribution and Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in the Multi-Media Environment from Zhengzhou, China

• Published in: Toxics (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 2; p. 140
• Main Authors: Li, Jialu, Zuo, Qiting, Hu, Hao, Feng, Feng, Jia, Hongtao, Ji, Yingxin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 31.01.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Analysis; Cadmium; Chromium; Cities; Contaminants; Copper; Distribution; Dust; ecological risks; Hazardous substances; Health aspects; Health risk assessment; Lead; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Methods; Multimedia; Pollutants; Pollution; Pollution levels; potentially toxic elements; Risk assessment; Rivers; road dust; Roads & highways; roadside soils; Roadsides; Sediments; Society; Soil contamination; Spatial distribution; Urban areas; Urban health; China; Henan China; Yellow River; potentially toxic elements; ecological risks; roadside soils; road dust; sediments
• ISSN: 2305-6304; 2305-6304
• DOI: 10.3390/toxics11020140

Road dust (RD), roadside soils (RS) and river surface sediments (sediments) are important materials for evaluating contaminant levels in urban areas. This study aims to investigate the contaminant characteristics, pollution levels and ecological risks of RD, RS and sediments of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), including Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg and Pb, in the central urban area of Zhengzhou. Results reveal that RD shows a higher concentration of PTEs when compared to the other two environments. The spatial distribution characteristics suggest that PTEs in RD, RS and sediments may come from different sources. The geo-accumulation index ( ) was used to describe that the RD was moderately to extremely contaminated with Cd and Hg, while both RS and sediments were significantly enriched with Cd and Hg. For RD, RS and sediments, the potential ecological risk (RI) demonstrates a high potential ecological risk from Cd and Hg. Overall, PTEs in Zhengzhou road dust present a moderate risk.