Source identification and health risk assessment of heavy metals with mineralogy: the case of soils from a Chinese industrial and mining city

Impact of national health city campaign on public health in China

Introduction

Establishing a national health city is an important national policy aimed at optimizing urban environment and improving residents' health. A rigorous evaluation of the policy's impact on China's public health is imperative. Such an evaluation would provide a scientific foundation for the continuous improvement of the policy and enhance the overall health of the population.

Methods

Based on the panel data of 84 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2023, this study takes healthy cities as a quasi-natural experiment, and employs a DID model to deeply explore the impact of the National Health City Campaign (NHCC) on public health in China.

Results

The research indicates that the policy has led to a decline in mortality rates and has contributed to the enhancement of public health in China to a certain extent. The impact of the NHCC varies across different regions, economic development levels, and population sizes. In addition, this study determined that the NHCC is capable of achieving substantial enhancements in public health levels by promoting the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure. The impact of the sewage treatment rate on public health levels is found to be regulatory in nature.

Discussion

This study is instrumental in enhancing public health policy, providing a theoretical foundation for the development of a healthy city, and plays a pivotal role in the promotion of the Healthy China Initiative.

Spatial heterogeneity: Necessary and feasible for revealing soil trace elements pollution, sources, risks, and their links

The source diversity and health risk of trace elements (TEs) in soil make it necessary to reveal the relationship between pollution, source, and risk. However, neglect of spatial heterogeneity restricts the reliability of existing identification methods. In this study, spatial heterogeneity is proposed as a necessary and feasible factor for accurately dissecting the pollution-source-risk link of soil TEs. A comprehensive framework is developed by integrating positive matrix factorization, Geodetector, and risk evaluation tools, and successfully applied in a mining-intensive city in northern China. Overall, the TEs are derived from natural background (28.5 %), atmospheric deposition (25.6 %), coal mining (21.8 %), and metal industry (24.1 %). The formation mechanism of heterogeneity for high-variance TEs (Se, Hg, Cd) is first systematically deciphered by revealing the heterogeneous source-sink relationship. Specifically, Se is dominated (76.5 %) by heterogeneous coal mining (q=0.187), Hg is determined (92.6 %) by the heterogeneity of metal mining (q=0.183) and smelting (q=0.363), and Cd is caused (50.9 %) by heterogeneous atmospheric deposition (q>0.254) co-influenced by the terrains and soil properties. Highly heterogeneous sources are also noteworthy for their potential to pose extreme risks (THI=1.122) in local areas. This study highlights the necessity of integrating spatial heterogeneity in pollution and risk assessment of soil TEs.

Distribution and transformation of potentially toxic elements in cracks under coal mining disturbance in farmland

The ground cracks resulting from coal mining activities induce alterations in the physical and chemical characteristics of soil. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the impact of subsidence caused by coal mining on the distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) fractions in farmland soil. In this study, we collected 19 soil profiles at varying depths from the soil surface and at horizontal distances of 0, 1, 2, and 5 m from the vertical crack. Using BCR extraction fractionation, we determined the geochemical fractions and total concentrations of Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) to investigate their ecological risk, spatial fraction distribution, and main influencing factors. Results showed that the E r i values of Cd appearing in 68.7% of the samples were higher than 40 and less than 80, presented a moderate ecological risk. Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), and lead (Pb) were mainly bound to residual fractions (> 60%) with lower mobility and Cd was dominated by F1 (acid-soluble fractions, 50%) and F2 (reducible fractions, 29%) in surface soil (0-20 cm). The geochemical fractionation revealed that the mobile fractions (F1-acid-soluble and F2-reducible) of PTEs were primarily located near the crack, influenced by available potassium. In contrast, the less mobile fractions (F3-oxidizable and F4-residual) exhibited higher concentrations at distances of 2 and 5 m from the crack, except for arsenic, influenced by the presence of clay particles and available phosphorus.

Response of trace elements in urban deposition to emissions in a northwestern river valley type city: 2010-2021

Anthropogenic activities release significant quantities of trace elements into the atmosphere, which can infiltrate ecosystems through both wet and dry deposition, resulting in ecological harm. Although the current study focuses on the emission inventory and deposition of trace elements, their complex interactions remain insufficiently explored. In this study, we employ emission inventories and deposition data for eight TEs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb) in Lanzhou City to unveil the relationship between these two aspects. Emissions in Lanzhou can be roughly divided into two periods centered around 2017. Preceding 2017, industrial production constituted the primary source of TEs emissions except for As; coal combustion was the primary contributor to Cr, Mn, and As emissions; waste incineration played a significant role in As, Zn, and Cd emissions; biomass combustion influenced Cr and Cd emissions; and transportation sources were the predominant contributors to Pb and Cu emissions. With the establishment of waste-to-energy plants and the implementation of ultra-low emission retrofits, emissions from these sources decreased substantially after 2017. Consequently, emissions from industrial production emerged as the main source of TEs. The deposition concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Pb followed a similar trend to the emissions. However, Cd and As exhibited lower emissions and a less pronounced response relationship. Moreover, Zn concentrations fluctuated within a narrow range and showed a weaker response to emissions. The consistent changes in emissions and TEs deposition concentrations signify a shift in deposition pollution in Lanzhou city from Coal-fired pollution to that driven by transportation and industrial activities. Within this transition, the industrial production process offers significant potential for emission reduction. This insight provides a crucial foundation for managing TEs pollution and implementing strategies to prevent ecological risks.

3D spatial interpolation of soil heavy metals by combining kriging with depth function trend model

In this study, a hybrid method combining 3D kriging and depth function considering heterogeneity (3DK_DF) was proposed to enhance the accuracy and reliability of 3D spatial interpolation for soil heavy metals. Soil samples collected at varied depth intervals in a mining city in China were used as a case dataset. First, the parameters of a logarithmic depth function model for every horizontal soil sample site were fitted on the basis of the observed values of soil Cd collected at varied depth intervals. Second, the 3D trend of soil Cd was obtained on the basis of the spatial distributions of the parameters of the logarithmic depth function model. Third, 3D kriging was used to generate the 3D spatial distribution of residual Cd. Finally, the 3D spatial distribution of the soil Cd was obtained by combining the 3D trend and residual results. The interpolation accuracy of 3DK_DF improved by 29.71% and 48.9% compared with those of the 3D kriging without a trend analysis and the 3D kriging with a polynomial trend model, respectively. The proposed hybrid 3D interpolation method could be of great significance for the comprehensive assessment of soil heavy metal pollution.

Evaluation of plant species for air pollution tolerance and phytoremediation potential in proximity to a coal thermal power station: implications for smart green cities

In metropolitan areas, air pollution poses a significant threat, and it is crucial to carefully select plant species that can tolerate such conditions. This requires a scientific approach based on systematic evaluation before recommending them to executive bodies. This study aimed to determine the air pollution tolerance index (APTI), dust retention capacity, and phytoremediation ability of 10 plant species growing in and around a lignite-based coal thermal power station. The results showed that Ficus benghalensis L. had the highest APTI, followed by Mimusops elengi L., Ficus religiosa L., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., and Annona reticulata L. F. benghalensis also showed the highest pH of leaf extract, relative water content, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid content, as well as the highest dust capturing capacity. Among the ten plant species, F. benghalensis, M. elengi, F. religiosa, A. indica and F. racemosa were identified as a tolerant group that can be used for particulate matter suppression and heavy metal stabilization in and around thermal power plants. These findings can inform the selection of plants for effective green infrastructure in smart green cities, promoting the health and well-being of urban populations. This research is relevant to urban planners, policymakers, and environmentalists interested in sustainable urban development and air pollution mitigation.

An investigation into the disturbance effects of coal mining on groundwater and surface ecosystems

Coal mining disturbs surface ecosystems in coal mining subsidence areas. Based on the groundwater-surface composite ecosystem analysis, we constructed an ecological disturbance evaluation index system (18 indices) in a coal mining subsidence area using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Taking the Nalinhe mining area in Wushen Banner, China, in 2018-2020 as an example, the weight, ecological disturbance grade and correlation of different indicators were determined by implementing fuzzy mathematics, weighting method, and correlation analysis method. The major conclusions of this review were: (i) After two years of mining, ecological disturbance was the highest in the study area (Grade III) and the lowest in the non-mining area (Grade I). (ii) Coal mining not only directly interfered with the environment, but also strengthened the connection of different ecological indicators, forming multiple ecological disturbance chains such as "mining intensity-mining thickness-buried depth/Mining thickness", "coal mining-surface subsidence-soil chemical factors", and "natural environment-soil physical factors". The disturbance chain that controls the ecological response factors in the region remains to be determined. However, the ecological response factors are the most important factor that hinders the restoration of the ecology in a coal mining subsidence area. (iii) The ecological disturbance in the coal mining subsidence area continued increasing over two years due to coal mining. The ecological disturbance by coal mining cannot be completely mitigated by relying on the self-repair capability of the environment. This study is of great significance for ecological restoration and governance of coal mining subsidence areas.

Assessment of heavy metal pollution and preschool children health risk in urban street dusts from different functional areas in a typical industrial and mining city, NW China

To assess the pollution characteristics and health risks associated with street dust exposure among preschool children in typical industrial and mining areas, we analyzed heavy metal concentrations of 20 urban street dusts in commercial area (CA), residential area (RA), scientific and educational area (SEA) and industrial and mining area (IMA) from Baiyin, NW China. The average concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As and Hg were 614.96, 484.25, 1757.74, 6868.86, 893.19, 77.62, 1473.99, 15.01 and 0.59 mg·kg-1, respectively. The ecological risk indexes for Cd, Cu and Hg were found as 20,075.20, 1425.07 and 1174.86, respectively, and the ecological risk was extremely high. The pollution load indexes (PLI) were > 1 for all four functional areas. The total hazard index (THI) for different functional areas were more than 1, and the main exposure pathway for children was ingestion route. Heavy metals in street dust of the IMA had the highest THI for children (43.88), and HI of Pb was being most significant (17.38). In addition, the carcinogenic risk to children via the respiratory route was acceptable. Furthermore, factor analysis and cluster analysis classified heavy metals into two groups, indicating common anthropogenic sources for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As and Hg. In conclusion, urban street dusts from industrial and mining area of Baiyin, NW China were found polluted by heavy metals and the pollution would pose an obvious non-carcinogenic risk to preschool children.