Accumulation of heavy metals in leaf vegetables from agricultural soils and associated potential health risks in the Pearl River Delta, South China

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 186; no. 3; pp. 1547 - 1560
• Main Authors: Chang, C. Y, Yu, H. Y, Chen, J. J, Li, F. B, Zhang, H. H, Liu, C. P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer-Verlag 01.03.2014; Springer International Publishing; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural land; agricultural soils; Agriculture; analysis; Arsenic; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Bioavailability; Biological magnification; Brassica; Brassica oleracea; Cadmium; Chemical contaminants; chemistry; children; China; Chinese cabbage; Chromium; cities; Correlation analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; flowering; Food Contamination; Food Contamination - analysis; Food Contamination - statistics & numerical data; Geochemistry; Health hazards; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Heavy metals; Human exposure; Humans; Impaired water use; irrigation; Lead; leaves; lettuce; Mercury; Metals, Heavy; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; mustard greens; Outdoor air quality; Plant Leaves; Plant Leaves - chemistry; pollutants; Pollution; Principal components analysis; risk; Rivers; Sewage; Soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil pH; Soil Pollutants; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil sciences; Soils; statistics & numerical data; Studies; Toxicity; Vegetables; Vegetables - chemistry; Wastewater irrigation; China; China, People's Rep., Zhu R; China, People's Rep; Leaf vegetables; Bioconcentration factor; Pearl River Delta; Target hazard quotient; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-013-3472-0

This study investigated the extent of heavy metal accumulation in leaf vegetables and associated potential health risks in agricultural areas of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China. Total concentrations of mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) were determined in 92 pairs of soil and leaf vegetable (flowering Chinese cabbage, lettuce, pakchoi, Chinese cabbage, loose-leaf lettuce, and Chinese leaf mustard) samples collected from seven agricultural areas (cities). The bioconcentration factors (BCF) of heavy metals from soil to vegetables were estimated, and the potential health risks of heavy metal exposure to the PRD residents through consumption of local leaf vegetables were assessed. Results showed that among the six leaf vegetables, pakchoi had the lowest capacity for heavy metal enrichment, whereas among the five heavy metals, Cd had the highest capacity for transferring from soil into vegetables, with BCF values 30-fold those of Hg and 50-fold those of Cr, Pb and As. Sewage irrigation and fertilization were likely the main sources of heavy metals accumulated in leaf vegetables grown in agricultural areas of the PRD region. Different from previous findings, soil pH had no clear effect on metal accumulation in leaf vegetables. Despite a certain degree of metal enrichment from soil to leaf vegetables, the PRD residents were not exposed to significant health risks associated with consumption of local leaf vegetables. Nevertheless, more attention should be paid to children due to their sensitivity to metal pollutants.