Soil Heavy Metal Pollution in Upstream Bailang River, Eastern China: Spatial Analysis, Health Risks, and Pollution Source Identification

ABSTRACT

The ecological and environmental concerns within Shandong Province’s Bailang River basin in eastern China have garnered significant research attention. This study specifically delves into the issue of soil heavy metals (HM) pollution in the upstream area of the Bailang River. Diverse methodologies were employed to quantitatively assess the pollution status, ecological implications, and associated health risks posed by HM. Geostatistical methods facilitated a spatial analysis of soil variations, while Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was utilized to attribute the sources of soil pollutants. The study area was found to be at a moderate level of pollution, with Cd (Coefficient of Variation, CV = 37%), Ni (CV = 49%), and Hg (CV = 69%) identified as primary pollutants in both quantitative analyses and ecological risk assessments. Overall, the concentration of HM was higher in the western area than in the eastern zone, suggesting a moderate pollution level within the central study zone. Human health risk evaluations indicated that non-carcinogenic risks (Total Hazard Index – THI) for adults and children met acceptable thresholds (0.11 and 0.98). However, 57.14% of children faced unacceptable non-carcinogenic risks, primarily attributed to Chromium (Cr) and Arsenic (As) exposure. Carcinogenic risks (Total Carcinogenic Risk Index – TCRI) for children indicated an unacceptable level of risk. Oral intake was the primary method of absorption. Qualitative analysis (PCA) identified major pollution sources, including natural emissions and traffic, coal combustion, agricultural activities, and iron and steel production. This study provides valuable insights for environmental safeguarding and the comprehensive evaluation of soil HM pollution.

KEYWORDS:

• Heavy metal
• risk assessment
• source apportionment
• PCA
• upstream area of Bailang River

Acknowledgments

In addition, we’d like to thank everyone who took part in the review for assisting with the manuscript preparation.

Consent to participate

Each participant who took part in the study voluntarily gave their informed consent.

Disclosure statement

The authors claim that they have no relationships financial or personal that might have possibly affected the work provided in this study.

Data availability statement

Data will be supplied upon request.

Authorship contribution statement

All authors provided suggestions for prior versions of the work. The final version was read and approved by all of the writers. Zongjun Gao, Jia Song, and Jiutan Liu: Conceived and Designed the experiment; Material preparation & Investigation; Data collection & Analysis; Interpreted the data; Methodology & supervision. Jia Song and Sandunika Dulakshini Abeysekara: Data analysis & Interpretation; Writing-review & Editing; Draft modification & Visualization. Yuqi Zhang, Qiang Li, and Yiru Niu: Investigation; Draft modification & Visualization. Bing Jiang: Investigation & Material preparation; Data Collection & Supervision.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Research on Major Geological Environmental Issues in Coastal Zone of Shandong Province [KY201911] and the Geological Exploration and Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources [202005].