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Heavy metal contamination of urban soils and dusts in Guangzhou, South China

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Abstract

The heavy metal concentrations of soil and dust samples from roadside, residential areas, parks, campus sport grounds, and commercial sites were studied in Guangzhou, South China. Heavy metals in samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer following acidic digestion with HClO4 + HF + HNO3. High concentrations, especially of Cd, Pb, and Zn, were found with mean concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the urban dusts being 4.22 ± 1.21, 62.2 ± 27.1, 116 ± 30, 31.9 ± 12.6, 72.6 ± 17.9, and 504 ± 191 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. The respective levels in urban soils (0.23 ± 0.19, 22.4 ± 13.8, 41.6 ± 29.4, 11.1 ± 5.3, 65.4 ± 40.2, and 277 ± 214 mg/kg dry weight, respectively), were significantly lower. The integrated pollution index of six metals varied from 0.25 to 3.4 and from 2.5 to 8.4 in urban soils and dusts, respectively, with 61 % of urban soil samples being classified as moderately to highly polluted and all dust samples being classified as highly polluted. The statistical analysis results for the urban dust showed good agreement between principal component analysis and cluster analysis, but distinctly different elemental associations and clustering patterns were observed among heavy metals in the urban soils. The results of multivariate statistic analysis indicated that Cr and Ni concentrations were mainly of natural origin, while Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were derived from anthropogenic activities.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 30800708, 41001328, 41071211, 41173101), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (Nos.2011020003196, 2011010001083), the High-level Talents Program of Guangdong Universities, the Program of Guangdong Science & Technology Department (No. 2010B020311006), and the Program of Guangzhou Science & Technology Department (No.2010A82070466).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Waste Reuse in Agriculture of Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China

    Quan-Ying Cai, Hai-Qin Li, Huixiong Lü & Qiao-Yun Zeng

  2. Key Laboratory of Water/soil Toxic Pollutants Control and Bioremediation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, Department of Environmental Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China

    Ce-Hui Mo, Yan-Wen Li & Xiao-Lian Wu

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  1. Quan-Ying Cai
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Cai, QY., Mo, CH., Li, HQ. et al. Heavy metal contamination of urban soils and dusts in Guangzhou, South China. Environ Monit Assess 185, 1095–1106 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2617-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2617-x

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