Journal of Geographical Sciences >
Heavy metal pollution from copper smelting during the Shang Dynasty at the Laoniupo site in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin, China
Wu Menglei (1989-), Engineer, specialized in environmental archaeology and cultural relic analysis. E-mail: wmlnwu@nwu.edu.cn |
Received date: 2021-03-05
Accepted date: 2021-06-24
Online published: 2022-01-25
Supported by
National Natural Science Foundation of China(41801060)
The Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA20060201)
The Open Foundation of the Key Laboratory of Cultural Heritage Research and Conservation of the Education Ministry in Northwest University of China(GXYDFA2018XBD003)
The Open Foundation of the Key Laboratory of Cultural Heritage Research and Conservation of the Education Ministry in Northwest University of China(WYSYS201909)
Copyright
Heavy metal pollution is hazardous for the environment and human health. However, there are few studies of heavy metal pollution caused by historic metallurgical activity. The Laoniupo site in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin, China, was an important settlement of the Shang Culture (1600-1046 BCE*We studied two stratigraphic profiles at the Laoniupo site, which were used for measurements of magnetic susceptibility, heavy metal concentrations, and AMS 14C ages to provide evidence of copper smelting activity at the site during the Shang Dynasty. The Nemerow Pollution Index and Geoaccumulation Index were calculated to assess the heavy metals record (Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, and As) in the topsoil on the loess tableland. According to the Single Pollution Index, the topsoil was slightly polluted by As and unpolluted by Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb and Cr; according to the Nemerow Composite Pollution Index the topsoil was mildly polluted; and according to the Geoaccumulation Index, the topsoil was moderately polluted by As, slightly polluted by Cu, and unpolluted by Zn, Ni, Pb and Cr. The main cause of the heavy metal pollution in the topsoil is the presence of copper slag in the cultural layers that was disturbed by modern farming activity.
Background vales (mg/kg)
Key words: heavy metal pollution; copper smelting; Laoniupo site; Bahe River; Guanzhong Basin
WU Menglei , JIA Yana , ZHANG Yuzhu , WEN Rui , GUO Jiahua , WANG Ninglian , LIU Wanqing , QIU Haijun , WANG Haoyu , XIAN Yiheng , YU Chun , YANG Ting . Heavy metal pollution from copper smelting during the Shang Dynasty at the Laoniupo site in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin, China[J]. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2021 , 31(11) : 1675 -1693 . DOI: 10.1007/s11442-021-1917-x
Figure 1 Maps showing (a) location of the Bahe River valley (square) in the Guanzhong Basin; (b) the LNP-1 and LNP-2 profiles at the Laoniupo site in the Bahe River valley marked with squares; (c) the relationship between the LNP-1/LNP-2 profiles and 38 topsoil samples at the Laoniupo site |
Figure 2 Photos showing (a) the landscape of wheat farmed on the loess terrace at the Laoniupo site in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin; (b) the pedostratigraphy of the LNP-1 profile; (c) copper slag; (d-e) pottery shards; (f) burnt earth at the Laoniupo site |
Table 1 Pedosedimentary descriptions of the LNP-1 and LNP-2 profiles in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin |
Profile | Depth (cm) | Pedostratigraphic subdivisions | Pedosedimentary descriptions |
---|---|---|---|
LNP-1 | 0-5 | Topsoil | Dull brown, silt, granular structure, some bio-pores, some earthworm burrows and excrement, abundant well-rounded spherical pellets (1.0-2.0 mm), some plant roots. |
5-180 | Cultural layer | Taupe fill, very loose, some burnt earths, charcoals, copper slags and pottery shards retrieved and identified as the artifacts of the Shang Dynasty. | |
>180 | Malan loess | Dull yellow-orange, silt, blocky structure, loose and porous. | |
LNP-2 | 0-5 | Topsoil | Dull brown, silt, granular structure, some bio-pores, some earthworm burrows and excrement, abundant well-rounded spherical pellets (1.0-2.0 mm), some plant roots. |
5-130 | Cultural layer | Taupe fill, very loose, some burnt earths, charcoals, copper slags and pottery shards retrieved and identified as the artifacts of the Shang Dynasty. | |
>130 | Malan loess | Dull yellow-orange, silt, blocky structure, loose and porous. |
Table 2 Classification of heavy metals evaluated with Single Pollution Index (Pi), Nemerow Composite Pollution Index (NCPI) and Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) (Müller, 1969; Nemerow, 1974) |
Pi | NCPI | Igeo | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pi≤1 | Unpolluted | NCPI≤0.7 | Unpolluted | Igeo≤0 | Unpolluted |
1<Pi≤2 | Slightly polluted | 0.7<NCPI≤1.0 | Slightly polluted | 0<Igeo≤1 | Slightly polluted |
1<Igeo≤2 | Moderately polluted | ||||
2<Pi≤3 | Mild polluted | 1.0<NCPI≤2.0 | Mild polluted | 2<Igeo≤3 | Moderate to strongly polluted |
3<Pi≤5 | Moderately polluted | 2.0<NCPI≤3.0 | Moderately polluted | 3<Igeo≤4 | Strongly polluted |
4<Igeo≤5 | Strongly to extremely polluted | ||||
Pi>5 | Extremely polluted | NCPI>3.0 | Extremely polluted | Igeo>5 | Extremely polluted |
Table 3 Calibrated radiocarbon dates of the LNP-1 and LNP-2 profiles in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin |
Lab number | Profile name | Depth (cm) | Dating material | Radiocarbon date (yr BP) | Calibrated age (cal yr BP, 2σ) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beta-559344 | LNP-1 | 100 | Charcoals | 3100 ± 30 | 3381-3232 |
Beta-561180 | LNP-2 | 70 | Charcoals | 3410 ± 30 | 3722-3576 |
Beta-559345 | LNP-2 | 110 | Charcoals | 3380 ± 30 | 3695-3565 |
Figure 3 Pedostratigraphy, concentrations of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, As and magnetic susceptibility (MS) in the LNP-1 profile in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin |
Figure 4 Pedostratigraphy, concentrations of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, As and magnetic susceptibility (MS) in the LNP-2 profile in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin |
Table 4 Concentrations of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, and As and magnetic susceptibility (MS) in the LNP-1 and LNP-2 profiles in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin |
Profile | Samples | Depth (cm) | Cu (mg/kg) | Zn (mg/kg) | Ni (mg/kg) | Pb (mg/kg) | Cr (mg/kg) | As (mg/kg) | MS (×10-8 m3/kg) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LNP-1 | Cultural layer | 20 | 82.0 | 151.0 | 45.2 | 25.4 | 82.5 | 40.6 | 120.7 |
Cultural layer | 40 | 64.6 | 112.0 | 35.7 | 13.8 | 58.0 | 34.5 | 132.8 | |
Cultural layer | 60 | 86.8 | 123.0 | 37.8 | 13.0 | 60.1 | 42.7 | 111.7 | |
Cultural layer | 80 | 53.4 | 108.0 | 39.3 | 15.6 | 61.5 | 28.8 | 88.9 | |
Cultural layer | 100 | 70.6 | 118.0 | 36.9 | 18.5 | 58.5 | 33.1 | 89.8 | |
Cultural layer | 130 | 339.0 | 89.4 | 40.2 | 17.3 | 60.8 | 25.8 | 165.0 | |
Cultural layer | 170 | 35.0 | 95.5 | 43.4 | 19.0 | 68.8 | 32.2 | 181.3 | |
Malan loess | 190 | 28.0 | 93.0 | 35.9 | 18.5 | 62.0 | 39.3 | 99.8 | |
Malan loess | 220 | 28.5 | 86.0 | 34.0 | 14.9 | 61.4 | 36.6 | 101.9 | |
LNP-2 | Cultural layer | 10 | 99.7 | 105.0 | 35.5 | 25.8 | 62.2 | 46.2 | 135.3 |
Cultural layer | 30 | 70.6 | 90.9 | 35.4 | 19.3 | 58.6 | 49.7 | 140.65 | |
Cultural layer | 50 | 42.8 | 104.0 | 36.7 | 20.5 | 69.5 | 40.5 | 146.0 | |
Cultural layer | 70 | 39.6 | 101.0 | 33.5 | 19.9 | 64.8 | 42.9 | 146.3 | |
Cultural layer | 90 | 43.8 | 90.0 | 37.5 | 22.8 | 61.5 | 42.1 | 173.1 | |
Malan loess | 150 | 30.2 | 87.6 | 33.4 | 8.6 | 60.0 | 41.6 | 104.0 | |
Burnt earth | - | 47.2 | 108.0 | 39.2 | 19.5 | 70.1 | 37.8 | - | |
LNP-S15 | Copper slag | - | 436.0 | 158.0 | 36.6 | 24.7 | 61.6 | 867.0 | - |
Figure 5 Variations of the concentration of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, and As in the topsoil at the Laoniupo site in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin |
Table 5 Concentrations of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, and As in the topsoil at the Laoniupo site of the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin, the evaluation criterion (GB 15618-2018) and the geochemical background values in Shaanxi Province (CNEMC, 1990; CNEPA, 2018) |
Heavy metals | Min (mg/kg) | Max (mg/kg) | Mean (mg/kg) | SD | CV | Sk | Kg | GB 15618-2018 (mg/kg) | Background vales (mg/kg) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cu | 31.3 | 137 | 52.05 | 22.94 | 0.44 | 1.90 | 3.88 | 100 | 21.4 |
Zn | 80.8 | 127 | 100.40 | 10.01 | 0.10 | 0.51 | 0.40 | 300 | 69.4 |
Ni | 32.0 | 41.8 | 36.41 | 2.41 | 0.07 | 0.18 | -0.18 | 190 | 28.8 |
Pb | 23.4 | 33.9 | 28.26 | 2.41 | 0.09 | 0.11 | -0.36 | 170 | 21.4 |
Cr | 58.3 | 75.8 | 65.67 | 4.01 | 0.06 | 0.42 | 0.46 | 250 | 62.5 |
As | 31.0 | 51.7 | 40.85 | 4.31 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.20 | 25 | 11.1 |
Min = Minimum; Max = Maximum; SD = Standard deviation; CV = Coefficient of variation; Sk = Skewness; Kg = Kurtosis |
Figure 6 Variations of the Single Pollution Index (Pi) and Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) in the topsoil at the Laoniupo site in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin |
Table 6 Heavy metal pollution evaluated with Single Pollution Index (Pi), Nemerow Composite Pollution Index (NCPI) and Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) in the topsoil at the Laoniupo site in the Bahe River valley, Guanzhong Basin |
Heavy metals | Pi | NCPI | Igeo | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Min | Max | Mean | Min | Max | Mean | ||
Cu | 0.31 | 1.37 | 0.52 | 1.51 | -0.04 | 2.09 | 0.59 |
Zn | 0.27 | 0.42 | 0.33 | -0.37 | 0.29 | -0.06 | |
Ni | 0.17 | 0.22 | 0.19 | -0.43 | -0.05 | -0.25 | |
Pb | 0.14 | 0.20 | 0.17 | -0.01 | -0.46 | -0.19 | |
Cr | 0.23 | 0.30 | 0.26 | -0.69 | -0.31 | -0.52 | |
As | 1.24 | 2.07 | 1.63 | 0.90 | 1.63 | 1.29 |
Min = Minimum; Max = Maximum |
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