Spatial distribution and risk assessment of mercury in soils over the Tibetan Plateau.

Autor: Yin X; Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China., Zhou W; Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China; Lanzhou University of Arts and Science, Lanzhou 730000, China., Su Y; Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China; School of Environment and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China., Tang C; School of Environment and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China., Guo J; Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China., Liu Z; Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China., Wang Y; School of Environment and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China., Zhang X; School of Environment and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China., Rupakheti D; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China., Kang S; Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: shichang.kang@lzb.ac.cn.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The Science of the total environment [Sci Total Environ] 2024 Dec 01; Vol. 954, pp. 176652. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 01.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176652
Abstrakt: The Tibetan Plateau is one of the highest and most pristine plateaus in the world, and its ecological environment has a significant impact on global climate and the distribution of water resources. Mercury (Hg), as a toxic metal pollutant, can have a severe impact on the health of living organisms and the ecosystem due to its presence in the environment. This study collected 336 soil samples from 28 sites across four typical surface vegetation landscapes (meadow, grassland, desert, and forest) on the Tibetan Plateau to measure soil THg (Total Hg) concentrations. The research aimed to explore the factors influencing soil THg levels, analyze pollution and environmental risks of THg in the surface soil, and evaluate the associated health risks to the local population. The results indicate that the mean soil THg concentration (31.84 ± 32.58 ng·g -1 ) of this study is compared to the background value of THg in Tibetan Plateau soils (37.0 ng·g -1 ), but there are significant differences in THg concentration among soils with different surface vegetation landscapes. The mean THg concentration in soils of forest vegetation types (74.42 ± 41.19 ng·g -1 ) is approximately twice the background value of Tibetan Plateau soils. In the forested regions of the southeastern, eastern, and southern Tibetan Plateau, soil concentrations of total mercury are relatively high, whereas in the desert areas of the northern, northwestern, and northeastern Tibetan Plateau, the concentrations are lower. Organic matter (soil organic carbon) being an important factor influencing the soil THg. Based on existing surface soil THg data from this and previous research in Tibetan Plateau (n = 477), 34.2 % of the samples show Hg pollution and potential ecological risks. However, the health risks of soil Hg to both adults and children are not significant.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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