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Contamination and human health risk of lead in soils around lead/zinc smelting areas in China

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Abstract

Pb/Zn smelting, an important economic activity in China, has led to heavy environmental pollution. This research reviewed studies on soil Pb contamination at Pb/Zn smelting sites in China published during the period of 2000 to 2015 to clarify the total levels, spatial changes, and health risks for Pb contamination in soils at local and national scales. The results show that Pb contents in surface soils at 58 Pb/Zn smelting sites in China ranged from 7 to 312,452 mg kg−1 with an arithmetic average, geometric average, and median of 1982, 404, and 428 mg kg−1, respectively (n = 1011). Surface soil Pb content at these smelting sites decreased from an average of 2466 to 659 mg kg−1, then to 463 mg kg−1 as the distance from the smelters increased from <1000 to 1000∼2000 m, and then to >2000 m. With respect to variation with depth, the average soil Pb content at these sites gradually decreased from 986 mg kg−1 at 0- to 20-cm depth to 144 mg kg−1 at 80- to 100-cm depth. Approximately 78 % of the soil samples (n = 1011) at the 58 Pb/Zn smelting sites were classified as having high Pb pollution levels. Approximately 34.2 and 7.7 % of the soil samples (n = 1011) at the 58 Pb/Zn smelting sites might pose adverse health effects and high chronic risks to children, respectively. The Pb/Zn smelting sites in the southwest and southeast provinces of China, as well as Liaoning province, were most contaminated and thus should receive priority for remediation.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41171359 and No. 41371441), Special Environmental Research Funds for Public Welfare (No. 201109064 and No. 201309044), and the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement no. 269233—GLOCOM (Global Partners in Contaminated Land Management).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People’s Republic of China

    Kai Lei & Chunye Lin

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca’ Foscari Venice, Calle Larga S. Marta 2137, Venice, 30123, Italy

    Elisa Giubilato & Andrea Critto

  3. Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan, 454000, People’s Republic of China

    Huiyun Pan

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  1. Kai Lei
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  2. Elisa Giubilato
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  3. Andrea Critto
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  4. Huiyun Pan
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  5. Chunye Lin
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Correspondence to Chunye Lin.

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Responsible editor: Zhihong Xu

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Lei, K., Giubilato, E., Critto, A. et al. Contamination and human health risk of lead in soils around lead/zinc smelting areas in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 13128–13136 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6473-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6473-z

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