Please wait a minute...
 Home  About the Journal Subscription Advertisement Contact us   英文  
 
Just Accepted  |  Current Issue  |  Archive  |  Featured Articles  |  Most Read  |  Most Download  |  Most Cited
Journal of Geographical Sciences    2015, Vol. 25 Issue (12) : 1439-1451     DOI: 10.1007/s11442-015-1244-1
Research Articles |
Contamination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in road dust in Bayan Obo Mining Region in Inner Mongolia, North China
LI Kexin,LIANG Tao(),YANG Zhiping(),YANG Zhiping
Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
Download: PDF(1766 KB)  
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks    
Abstract  

The objective of this study was to investigate the concentration and spatial distribution patterns of 9 potentially toxic heavy metal elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Ni) in road dust in the Bayan Obo Mining Region in Inner Mongolia, China. Contamination levels were evaluated using the geoaccumulation index and the enrichment factor. Human health risks for each heavy metal element were assessed using a human exposure model. Results showed that the dust contained significantly elevated heavy metal elements concentrations compared with the background soil. The spatial distribution pattern of all tested metals except for As coincided with the locations of industrial areas while the spatial distribution of As was associated with domestic sources. The contamination evaluation indicated that Cd, Pb, and Mn in road dust mainly originated from anthropogenic sources with a rating of “heavily polluted” to “extremely polluted,” whereas the remaining metals originated from both natural and anthropogenic sources with a level of “moderately polluted”. The non-cancer health risk assessment showed that ingestion was the primary exposure route for all metals in the road dust and that Mn, Cr, Pb, and As were the main contributors to non-cancer risks in both children and adults. Higher HI values were calculated for children (HI=1.89), indicating that children will likely experience higher health risks compared with adults (HI=0.23). The cancer risk assessment showed that Cr was the main contributor, with cancer risks which were 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than those for other metals. Taken in concert, the non-cancer risks posed by all studied heavy metal elements and the cancer risks posed by As, Co, Cr, Cd, and Ni to both children and adults in Bayan Obo Mining Region fell within the acceptable range.
Keywords road dust      heavy metal elements      contamination assessment      health risk assessment      Bayan Obo Mining Region     
Fund:National Natural Scientific Foundation of China, No.41571473, No.41401591
Corresponding Authors: LIANG Tao,YANG Zhiping     E-mail: liangt@igsnrr.ac.cn;wanglq@igsnrr.ac.cn
Issue Date: 05 January 2016
Service
E-mail this article
E-mail Alert
RSS
Articles by authors
LI Kexin
LIANG Tao
YANG Zhiping
YANG Zhiping
Cite this article:   
LI Kexin,LIANG Tao,YANG Zhiping, et al. Contamination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in road dust in Bayan Obo Mining Region in Inner Mongolia, North China[J]. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2015, 25(12): 1439-1451.
URL:  
http://www.geogsci.com/EN/10.1007/s11442-015-1244-1     OR     http://www.geogsci.com/EN/Y2015/V25/I12/1439
Figure 1  Map of the study area and sampling sites in Bayan Obo Mining Region (April 2014)
Igeo value Class
Igeo ≤0 Unpolluted
0 < Igeo≤1 Unpolluted/Moderately polluted
1 < Igeo≤2 Moderately polluted
2 < Igeo≤3 Moderately polluted/Strongly polluted
3 < Igeo≤4 Strongly polluted
4 < Igeo≤5 Strongly polluted/Extremely polluted
Igeo > 5 Extremely polluted
Table 1  The classification of contamination levels based on the Igeo values
Factor Definition Value Unit Reference
Adults Children
BW Average body weight 70 15 kg EPA, 1989
IngR Ingestion rate 100 200 mg·day-1 EPA, 1989
InhR Inhalation rate 20 7.6 m3·day-1 Zheng et al., 2010a
PEF Particle emission factor 1.36×109 m3·kg-1 EPA, 2001
SA Surface areas of the skin that contacts the airborne particulates 5700 2800 cm-2 EPA, 2004
SL Skin adherence factor 0.07 0.2 mg·m-3
EF Exposure frequency 180 180 days·year-1 Zheng et al., 2010a
ED Exposure duration 24 6 years EPA,2001
ET Exposure time 24 hours·day-1
AT (non-cancer risk) Averaging time ED×365 days
AT (cancer risk) Averaging time 70×365 days
ABS Dermal absorption factor 0.03 for As,
0.001 for other metals		 - EPA,2004
CF Conversion factor 1×10-6 kg·mg-1
Table 2  Exposure factors
Concentration Maximum Minimum Mean Geometric mean Median S.D. Inner Mongolia B.
Cd 4.63 1.21 2.20 2.05 1.83 0.90 0.037
Co 41.27 20.65 26.94 26.62 25.74 4.49 9.0
Cr 260.80 85.09 141.24 136.76 139.60 38.46 35.7
Cu 51.09 20.49 36.39 35.75 36.36 6.79 12.7
Pb 526.70 88.04 183.93 167.51 160.50 95.41 13.5
Zn 729.00 192.00 299.37 283.92 261.80 117.51 47.5
As 19.46 8.01 12.02 11.78 11.49 2.57 6.1
Ni 49.82 24.96 31.25 30.85 29.41 5.52 16.6
Mn 7956.00 1575.00 3407.30 3206.43 3172.00 1349.94 434.3
Table 3  The concentrations of heavy metals in road dust collected in Bayan Obo (April 2014, mg·kg-1)
Concentration Cd Co Cr Cu Pb Zn As Ni Mn Reference
Bayan Obo 2.20 26.94 141.24 36.39 183.93 299.37 12.02 31.25 3407.30 This study
Hangzhou 1.59 19.96 51.29 116.04 202.16 321.40 25.88 509.56 Zhang and Wang, 2009
Urumqi 1.17 10.97 54.28 94.54 53.53 294.47 43.28 926.60 Wei et al., 2009
Shanghai 1.23 159.30 196.80 294.90 733.80 83.98 Shi et al., 2008
Baoji 15.90 126.70 123.17 433.20 715.30 19.80 48.80 804.20 Lu et al., 2009
Nanjing 139.0 238.0 113.0 307.0 47.0 786.0 Liu et al., 2014
Inner Mongolia B. 0.037 9.0 35.7 12.7 13.5 47.5 6.1 16.6 434.3 Xu et al., 2004
Gao et al., 2007
China B. 0.07 11.2 53.9 20.0 23.6 67.7 11.2 23.4 482.0 Xu et al., 2004
Table 4  The average concentrations of heavy metals in road dust in different areas (mg·kg-1)
Figure 2  Map of the study area and sampling sites in Bayan Obo Mining Region (April 2014)
Figure 3  The Igeo value of heavy metals in road dust in Bayan Obo (April 2014)
Figure 4  Non-carcinogenic risk distribution of different exposure ways for children and adults in Bayan Obo (April 2014)
Igeo Cd Co Cr Cu Pb Zn As Ni Mn Reference
Bayan Obo 5.21 0.98 1.35 0.90 3.05 1.99 0.36 0.31 2.30 This study
Hangzhou 3.14 0.10 -1.10 1.70 2.42 1.51 -0.88 -0.98 Zhang and Wang, 2009
Urumqi 0.80 -0.30 -0.10 0.40 0.30 0.50 0.00 0.00 Wei et al., 2009
Shanghai 2.65 0.50 2.19 2.94 2.54 0.84 Shi et al., 2008
Baoji 1.79 3.19 2.58 3.04 0.17 -0.21 Lu et al., 2009
Table 5  The average Igeo values of heavy metals in road dust in different areas
Cd Cr Cu Pb Zn Co As Ni Mn
EF 81.37 5.31 3.74 19.51 8.82 3.98 2.57 2.53 11.0
Table 6  The average EFs values of heavy metals in road dust collected in Bayan Obo (April 2014)
C (95%UCL) Oral RfD Inhal RfD Dermal RfD HQ ingestion
Adult Children
Cd 2.59 1.00E-03 1.00E-03 5.00E-05 1.82E-03 1.70E-02
Cr 157.87 3.00E-03 2.86E-05 6.00E-05 3.71E-02 3.46E-01
Cu 39.33 4.00E-02 4.02E-02 1.20E-02 6.93E-04 6.47E-03
Pb 225.19 3.50E-03 3.52E-03 5.25E-04 4.53E-02 4.23E-01
Zn 350.18 3.00E-01 3.00E-01 6.00E-02 8.22E-04 7.68E-03
Ni 33.63 2.00E-02 2.06E-02 5.40E-03 1.18E-03 1.11E-02
Co 28.88 2.00E-02 5.71E-06 1.60E-02 1.02E-03 9.49E-03
As 13.13 3.00E-04 3.01E-04 1.23E-04 3.08E-02 2.88E-01
Mn 3991.06 4.60E-02 1.43E-05 1.84E-03 6.11E-02 5.70E-01
Sum 1.80E-01 1.68E+00
HQ inhalation HQ dermal HI
Adult Children Adult Children Adult Children
Cd 2.81E-07 4.98E-07 1.52E-04 9.98E-04 1.98E-03 1.80E-02
Cr 5.71E-04 1.01E-03 7.39E-03 4.84E-02 4.50E-02 3.95E-01
Cu 1.01E-07 1.80E-07 1.00E-05 6.55E-05 7.03E-04 6.53E-03
Pb 6.98E-06 1.24E-05 1.27E-03 8.32E-03 4.66E-02 4.31E-01
Zn 1.34E-07 2.38E-07 1.82E-05 1.19E-04 8.41E-04 7.79E-03
Ni 1.65E-07 2.93E-07 1.71E-05 1.12E-04 1.20E-03 1.12E-02
Co 5.23E-04 9.27E-04 5.06E-06 3.32E-05 1.55E-03 1.05E-02
As 4.57E-06 8.11E-06 9.00E-03 5.90E-02 3.98E-02 3.47E-01
Mn 2.89E-02 5.13E-02 6.10E-03 3.99E-02 9.61E-02 6.62E-01
Sum 3.00E-02 5.32E-02 2.40E-02 1.57E-01 2.34E-01 1.89E+00
Table 7  HIs for each non-carcinogenic metal in road dust collected in Bayan Obo (April 2014)
Figure 5  The HQs of each heavy metal in road dust in Bayan Obo for adults (a) and children (b) (April 2014)
Cd Cr Ni Co As
Inhal SF 6.30E+00 4.20E+01 8.40E-01 9.80E+00 1.51E+01
R 8.37E-10 3.40E-07 1.45E-09 1.45E-08 1.02E-08
Table 8  Cancer risks for each carcinogenic metal in road dust collected in Bayan Obo (April 2014)
1 Apeagyei E, Bank M S, Spengler J D, 2011. Distribution of heavy metals in road dust along an urban-rural gradient in Massachusetts.Atmospheric Environment, 45(13): 2310-2323.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231010009702
doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.11.015
2 Cheng X, Taylor R N, Li Wet al., 2012. Comparison of fluorite geochemistry from REE deposits in the Panxi region and Bayan Obo, China.Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 57: 76-89.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1367912012002805
doi: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2012.06.007
3 Cook A G, Weinstein P, Centeno J A, 2005. Health effects of natural dust.Biological Trace Element Research, 103(1): 1-15.
doi: 10.1385/BTER:103:1:001
4 Csavina J, Field J, Taylor M Pet al., 2012. A review on the importance of metals and metalloids in atmospheric dust and aerosol from mining operations.Science of the Total Environment, 433: 58-73.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969712008261
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.013 pmid: 22766428
5 Drew L J, Meng Q, Sun W, 1990. The Bayan Obo iron-rare-earth-niobium deposits, Inner Mongolia.China. Lithos, 26(1): 43-65.
6 Ferreira-Baptista L, De Miguel E, 2005. Geochemistry and risk assessment of street dust in Luanda, Angola: A tropical urban environment.Atmospheric Environment, 39(25): 4501-4512.
doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.03.026
7 Fu K, Su B, He Det al., 2012. Pollution assessment of heavy metals along the Mekong River and dam effects.Journal of Geographical Sciences, 22(5): 874-884.
doi: 10.1007/s11442-012-0969-3
8 Gao H, Wang X, Zhang Qet al., 2007. Characteristics of soil background value in Hetao area, Inner Mongolia. Geology and Resources, 16(3): 209-212. (in Chinese)http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-GJSD200703009.htm
9 Guo W, Fu R, Zhao Ret al., 2011. Distribution Characteristic and Assessment of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution in the Iron Mining of Baotou in Inner Mongolia.Chinese Journal of Environmental Science, 32(10): 3099-3105. (in Chinese)http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-HJKZ201110052.htm
doi: 10.1631/jzus.A1010009 pmid: 22279930
10 IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), 2014. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Vol. 1-109.
11 Liu E, Yan T, Birch Get al., 2014. Pollution and health risk of potentially toxic metals in urban road dust in Nanjing, a mega-city of China.Science of the Total Environment, 476: 522-531.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969714000643
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.01.055 pmid: 24496025
12 Lu X, Li L Y, Wang Let al., 2009. Contamination assessment of mercury and arsenic in roadway dust from Baoji, China. Atmospheric Environment, 43(15): 2489-2496.
doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.01.048
13 Lu X, Wang L, Lei Ket al., 2009. Contamination assessment of copper, lead, zinc, manganese and nickel in street dust of Baoji, NW China,Journal of Hazardous Materials, 161: 1058-1062.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389408005980
doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.04.052 pmid: 18502044
14 Moreno T, Karanasiou A, Amato Fet al., 2013. Daily and hourly sourcing of metallic and mineral dust in urban air contaminated by traffic and coal-burning emissions.Atmospheric Environment, 68: 33-44.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231012010990
doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.11.037
15 Muller G, 1969. Index of geo-accumulation in sediments of the Rhine River.Geo Journal, 2(3): 108-118
16 Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund .Volume I: Human Health Evaluation Manual, Part E: Supplemental Guidance for Dermal Risk Assessment. EPA/540/R/99/005, OSWER9285.7-02EP PB99-963312, 2004. Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C.
17 Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund Volume I Human Health Evaluation Manual (Part A) EPA/540/1-89/002, 1989. Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C.http://homer.ornl.gov/sesa/environment/guidance/cercla/siteclosure/implem.pdf
doi: 10.1016/S0300-483X(00)00338-3
18 Shi G, Chen Z, Xu Set al., 2008. Potentially toxic metal contamination of urban soils and roadside dust in Shanghai.China. Environmental Pollution, 156: 251-260.
19 Si W, Liu J, Cai Let al., 2015. Health risks of metals in contaminated farmland soils and spring wheat irrigated with Yellow River water in Baotou, China.Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 94(2): 214-219.http://med.wanfangdata.com.cn/Paper/Detail/PeriodicalPaper_PM25476736
doi: 10.1007/s00128-014-1435-y pmid: 25476736
20 Sun C, Bi C, Chen Zet al., 2010. Assessment on environmental quality of heavy metals in agricultural soils of Chongming Island, Shanghai City.Journal of Geographical Sciences, 20(1): 135-147.
doi: 10.1007/s11442-010-0135-8
21 Supplemental Guidance for Developing Soil Screening Level for Superfund Sites. OSWER9355.4-24, 2001. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C.
22 Supplemental Guidance to RAGS: Calculating the Concentration Term. PB92-963373, 1992. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C.
23 Valko M, Rhodes C J, Moncol Jet al., 2006. Free radicals, metals and antioxidants in oxidative stress-induced cancer.Chemico-biological Interactions, 160(1): 1-40.http://med.wanfangdata.com.cn/Paper/Detail/PeriodicalPaper_PM16430879
doi: 10.1016/j.cbi.2005.12.009 pmid: 16430879
24 Wang L, Guo Z, Xiao Xet al., 2008. Heavy metal pollution of soils and vegetables in the midstream and downstream of the Xiangjiang River, Hunan Province.Journal of Geographical Sciences, 18(3): 353-362.
doi: 10.1007/s11442-008-0353-5
25 Wang L, Liang T, Zhang Qet al., 2014. Rare earth element components in atmospheric particulates in the Bayan Obo mine region. Environmental Research, 131: 64-70.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935114000279
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.02.006 pmid: 24657942
26 Wei B, Jiang F, Li Wet al., 2009. Spatial distribution and contamination assessment of heavy metals in urban road dusts from Urumqi, NW China.Microchemical Journal, 93: 147-152.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026265X0900085X
doi: 10.1016/j.microc.2009.06.001
27 Wu C, 2008. Bayan Obo Controversy: Carbonatites versus Iron Oxide‐Cu‐Au‐(REE‐U).Resource Geology, 58(4): 348-354. (in Chinese)http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-3928.2008.00069.x/full
doi: 10.1111/j.1751-3928.2008.00069.x
28 Xu S, Tao S, 2004. Coregionalization analysis of heavy metals in the surface soil of Inner Mongolia.Science of the Total Environment, 320: 73-87.http://med.wanfangdata.com.cn/Paper/Detail/PeriodicalPaper_PM14987928
doi: 10.1016/S0048-9697(03)00450-9 pmid: 14987928
29 Zhang J, Zheng C, Liu Jet al., 2002. Advance of pollution and retention of arsenic in coal combustion.Coal Conversion, 25(2): 23-28. (in Chinese)http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-MTZH200202004.htm
30 Zhang M, Wang H, 2009. Concentrations and chemical forms of potentially toxic metals in road-deposited sediments from different zones of Hangzhou, China.Journal of Environmental Sciences, 21: 625-631.
31 Zheng G, Yue L, Li Zet al., 2006. Assessment on heavy metals pollution of agricultural soil in Guanzhong district.Journal of Geographical Sciences, 16(1): 105-113.
doi: 10.1007/s11442-006-0111-5
32 Zheng N, Liu J, Wang Qet al., 2010a. Health risk assessment of heavy metal exposure to street dust in the zinc smelting district, northeast of China.Science of the Total Environment, 408(4): 726-733.http://med.wanfangdata.com.cn/Paper/Detail/PeriodicalPaper_PM19926116
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.10.075 pmid: 19926116
33 Zheng N, Liu J, Wang Qet al., 2010b. Heavy metals exposure of children from stairway and sidewalk dust in the smelting district, northeast of China.Atmospheric Environment, 44(27): 3239-3245.
doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.06.002
No related articles found!
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
Copyright © Journal of Geographical Sciences, All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Beijing Magtech Co. Ltd