Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heavy metal assessment in agricultural soils and vegetables in the vicinity of industrial pollutants in the Pljevlja municipality (Montenegro): ecological and health risk approach

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper aims to assess ecological and health risks associated with heavy metal (As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr) content in agricultural soils and vegetables (potato tuber, beetroot, onion bulb, carrot root) collected near the lead and zinc mine (MLZ), coal-fired power station (CFPS) and coal mine (CM) located in Pljevlja municipality (Montenegro). The ecological risk of soil was estimated using the ecological risk index (RI) and pollution load index (PLI). The health risk was evaluated through different soil exposure pathways (ingestion, inhalation, dermal contact) and vegetable consumption. The pollution indices RI and PLI indicated the highest contamination in MLZ study area followed by CM and CFPS areas. RI values revealed considerable contamination in MLZ and CM study areas, while CFPS area is moderately contaminated by heavy metals. According to PLI, soil in MLZ and CM areas is classified as polluted, while the soil in the vicinity of CFPS is classified as unpolluted. Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks through soil exposure were identified for both children and adults, in all investigated areas. Dermal contact was identified as the main contributor to carcinogenic risk. Dermal contact was also identified as the main exposure pathway for non-carcinogenic risk in MLZ area, while for CFPS and CM areas, ingestion was the main exposure route. As for vegetables, only Cu and Zn were detected in all examined vegetables. Non-cancerogenic health risk of edible vegetable consumption was found for children in all study areas, while there was no health risk for adults.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and material

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article (data set given in tables and figures).

References

  • Cao, H., Luan, Z., Wang, J., & Zhang, X. (2009). Potential ecological risk of cadmium, lead and arsenic in agricultural black soil in Jilin Province, China. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, 23(1), 57–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-007-0195-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, X., Danek, T., Drozdova, J., Huang, Q., Qi, W., Zou, L., et al. (2018). Soil heavy metal pollution and risk assessment associated with the Zn-Pb mining region in Yunnan. Southwest China. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 190(4), 16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6574-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cui, W., Meng, Q., Feng, Q., Zhou, L., Cui, Y., & Li, W. (2019). Occurrence and release of cadmium, chromium, and lead from stone coal combustion. International Journal of Coal Science and Technology, 6(4), 586–594. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40789-019-00281-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ćujić, M., Dragović, S., Dordević, M., Dragović, R., & Gajić, B. (2016). Environmental assessment of heavy metals around the largest coal fired power plant in Serbia. Catena, 139, 44–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2015.12.001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doležalová Weissmannová, H., Mihočová, S., Chovanec, P., & Pavlovský, J. (2019). Potential ecological risk and human health risk assessment of heavy metal pollution in industrial affected soils by coal mining and metallurgy in Ostrava, Czech Republic. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(22), 4495. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edelstein, M., & Ben-Hur, M. (2018). Heavy metals and metalloids: Sources, risks and strategies to reduce their accumulation in horticultural crops. Scientia Horticulturae, 234(June), 431–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2017.12.039

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FAO/WHO. (2011). Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods, Food CF/5 INF/1. Fifth Session. The Hague, The Netherlands.

  • George, J., Masto, R. E., Ram, L. C., Das, T. B., Rout, T. K., & Mohan, M. (2015). Human exposure risks for metals in soil near a coal-fired power-generating plant. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 68(3), 451–461. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-014-0111-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hakanson, L. (1980). An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control A Sedimentological Approach. Water Research, 14(8), 975–1001. https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(80)90143-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, W., Chen, Y., Huang, B., & Niedermann, S. (2014). Health risk assessment of heavy metals in soils and vegetables from a typical greenhouse vegetable production system in China. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 20(5), 1264–1280. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2013.831267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hua, C., Zhou, G., Yin, X., Wang, C., Chi, B., Cao, Y., et al. (2018). Assessment of heavy metal in coal gangue: distribution, leaching characteristic and potential ecological risk. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25(32), 32321–32331. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3118-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, S., Yuan, C., Li, Q., Yang, Y., Tang, C., Ouyang, K., & Wang, B. (2017a). Distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in soils from a typical Pb-Zn mining area. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 26(3), 1105–1112. https://doi.org/10.15244/pjoes/68424

  • Huang, X., Hu, J., Qin, F., Quan, W., Cao, R., Fan, M., & Wu, X. (2017b). Heavy metal pollution and ecological assessment around the Jinsha coal-fired power plant (China). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14121589

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iruretagoiena, A. R., Vallejuelo, S. F. O., Gredilla, A., Ramos, C. G., Oliveira, M. L. S., Arana, G., ... & Silva, L. F. O. (2015). Fate of hazardous elements in agricultural soils surrounding a coal power plant complex from Santa Catarina (Brasil). Science of the Total Environment, 508, 374-382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.015

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Legalley, E., & Krekeler, M. P. S. (2013). A mineralogical and geochemical investigation of street sediment near a coal-fired power plant in Hamilton, Ohio: An example of complex pollution and cause for community health concerns. Environmental Pollution, 176, 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2012.12.012

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, H., Ji, H., Shi, C., Gao, Y., Zhang, Y., Xu, X., et al. (2017). Distribution of heavy metals and metalloids in bulk and particle size fractions of soils from coal-mine brownfield and implications on human health. Chemosphere, 172(April), 505–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.021

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., & Sun, C. (2016). Evaluation of the migration of thallium, cadmium, vanadium, and chromium from a thermal power plant. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75(5), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-5159-z

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., Xie, Z. M., Xu, J. M., & Sun, Y. F. (2006). Risk assessment for safety of soils and vegetables around a lead/zinc mine. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 28, 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-005-9009-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liang, J., Feng, C., Zeng, G., Gao, X., Zhong, M., Li, X., et al. (2017). Spatial distribution and source identification of heavy metals in surface soils in a typical coal mine city, Lianyuan, China. Environmental Pollution, 225, 681–690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.03.057

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Linnik, V. G., Minkina, T. M., Bauer, T. V., Saveliev, A. A., & Mandzhieva, S. S. (2020). Geochemical assessment and spatial analysis of heavy metals pollution around coal-fired power station. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 42(12), 4087–4100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00361-z

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, K., Li, C., Tang, S., Shang, G., Yu, F., & Li, Y. (2020). Heavy metal concentration, potential ecological risk assessment and enzyme activity in soils affected by a lead-zinc tailing spill in Guangxi, China. Chemosphere, 251, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126415

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, S., Tian, S., Li, K., Wang, L., & Liang, T. (2018). Heavy metal bioaccessibility and health risks in the contaminated soil of an abandoned, small-scale lead and zinc mine. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25(15), 15044–15056. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1660-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, S., Wang, Y., Teng, Y., & Yu, X. (2015). Heavy metal pollution and ecological risk assessment of the paddy soils near a zinc-lead mining area in Hunan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187(10), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4835-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health (China). (2006). China health statistics yearbook.

  • Obiora, S. C., Chukwu, A., Toteu, S. F., & Davies, T. C. (2016). Assessment of heavy metal contamination in soils around lead (Pb)-zinc (Zn) mining areas in Enyigba, southeastern Nigeria. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 87(4), 453–462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-016-0413-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OG18/97. (1997). Rulebook of allowed concentrations of hazardous and dangerous substances in soil and methods for determination (pp. 1–18). Gazette of Republic of Montenegro: Podgorica, Republic of Montenegro.

  • Osaili, T. M., Al Jamali, A. F., Makhadmeh, I. M., Taha, M., & Jarrar, S. K. (2016). Heavy metals in vegetables sold in the local market in Jordan. Food Additives and Contaminants: Part B Surveillance, 9(3), 223–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/19393210.2016.1181675

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Özkul, C. (2016). Heavy metal contamination in soils around the Tunçbilek Thermal Power Plant (Kütahya, Turkey). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 188(5), 12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5295-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pajević, S., Arsenov, D., Nikolić, N., Borišev, M., Orčić, D., Župunski, M., & Mimica-Dukić, N. (2018). Heavy metal accumulation in vegetable species and health risk assessment in Serbia. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 190(8), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6743-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reimann, C., Birke, M., Demetriades, A., Filzmoser, P., & O’Connor, P. (2014). Chemistry of Europe’s agricultural soils, Part A; Methodology and interpretation of the GEMAS data set.

  • Reza, S. K., Baruah, U., Singh, S. K., & Das, T. H. (2015). Geostatistical and multivariate analysis of soil heavy metal contamination near coal mining area Northeastern India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 73(9), 5425–5433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3797-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shaheen, N., Irfan, N. M., Khan, I. N., Islam, S., Islam, M. S., & Ahmed, M. K. (2016). Presence of heavy metals in fruits and vegetables: health risk implications in Bangladesh. Chemosphere, 152, 431–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.02.060

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, R., Singh, D. P., Kumar, N., Bhargava, S. K., & Barman, S. C. (2010). Accumulation and translocation of heavy metals in soil and plants from fly ash contaminated area. Journal of Environmental Biology, 31(4), 421–430.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang, Q., Liu, G., Zhou, C., Zhang, H., & Sun, R. (2013). Distribution of environmentally sensitive elements in residential soils near a coal-fired power plant: Potential risks to ecology and children’s health. Chemosphere, 93(10), 2473–2479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.09.015

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. R. (1964). Abundance of chemical elements in the continental crust: a new table. Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, 28(8), 1273-1285.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turhan, G., A. M. K., Hançerlioğulları, A., Kurnaz, A., Gören, E., Duran, C., et al. (2020). Ecological assessment of heavy metals in soil around a coal-fired thermal power plant in Turkey. Environmental Earth Sciences, 79(6), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-8864-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • US EPA. (1989). Risk assessment guidance for superfund volume I human health evaluation manual (Part A). Office of Emergency and Remedial Response. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, 20450. EPA/540/1–89/002.

  • US EPA. (1996). Method 3050B:Acid digestion of sediments, sludges and soils. Revision 2, Washington DC.

  • US EPA. (2002). Supplemental guidance for developing soil screening levels for superfund cites. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Responce. OSWER 9355. 4-24.

  • US EPA. (2009). DOD vapor intrusion handbook. The Tri-service environmental risk assessment workgroup. Exposure Factor Handbook (EFH).

  • US EPA. (2011). Exposure factors handbook: 2011 edition. National Center for Environmental Assessment Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, 20460. EPA/600/R-09/052F.

  • US EPA. (2015). Recommended use of BW3/4 as the default method in derivation of the oral reference dose. Office of the Science Advisor Risk Assessment Forum U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20460. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2013-09/documents/recommended-use-of-bw34.pdf

  • Yang, Q., Li, Z., Lu, X., Duan, Q., Huang, L., & Bi, J. (2018). A review of soil heavy metal pollution from industrial and agricultural regions in China: Pollution and risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 642, 690–700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.068

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye, X., Xiao, W., Zhang, Y., Zhao, S., Wang, G., Zhang, Q., & Wang, Q. (2015). Assessment of heavy metal pollution in vegetables and relationships with soil heavy metal distribution in Zhejiang province China. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187(6), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4604-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ying, L., Shaogang, L., & Xiaoyang, C. (2016). Assessment of heavy metal pollution and human health risk in urban soils of a coal mining city in East China. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 22(6), 1359–1374. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2016.1174924

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Q., & Wang, C. (2020). Natural and human factors affect the distribution of soil heavy metal pollution: A review. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 231(7), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04728-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, T., Xue, D., Zhao, L., & Zhang, X. (2018). Concentration of heavy metals in vegetables and potential health risk assessment in China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 40(1), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-9909-6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was supported by the Montenegrin Ministry of Science under grant no. 01–779/2.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Public Health of Montenegro, Džona Džeksona bb, 81000, Podgorica, Montenegro

    Nevena Cupara, Dijana Đurović & Ivana Milašević

  2. Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Montenegro, Džordža Vašingtona bb, 81000, Podgorica, Montenegro

    Nevena Cupara, Darko Medin & Slađana Krivokapić

  3. Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, University of Montenegro, Džordža Vašingtona bb, 81000, Podgorica, Montenegro

    Irena Nikolić

  4. Faculty for Food Safety and Ecology, University Donja Gorica, Oktoih 1, 81000, Podgorica, Montenegro

    Dijana Đurović

Authors
  1. Nevena Cupara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Irena Nikolić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dijana Đurović
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ivana Milašević
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Darko Medin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Slađana Krivokapić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nevena Cupara.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

D.Đ. is the leader of a project supported by the Montenegrin Ministry of Science under grant no. 01–799/2. Other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cupara, N., Nikolić, I., Đurović, D. et al. Heavy metal assessment in agricultural soils and vegetables in the vicinity of industrial pollutants in the Pljevlja municipality (Montenegro): ecological and health risk approach. Environ Monit Assess 194, 819 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10445-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10445-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation