Heavy Metal Pollution and Risk Assessment of Vegetables and Soil in Jinhua City of China

Abstract

To understand the heavy metal (Cd, Cr and Pb) pollution situation and exposure risk of the vegetables and soil in Jinhua City, soil–vegetable samples collected from three districts of Jinhua City were analyzed in detail, and the risks of heavy metal concentration in vegetable and soil were evaluated using the single pollution index, Nemerow pollution index, Hakanson potential ecological index and a health risk assessment. The results indicate that: (1) The soil in Jinhua City is mainly polluted by Cd, and the BCF of heavy metals in vegetables was leafy vegetables > rootstalk vegetables > solanaceous vegetables. (2) Heavy metals had slight pollution in the surrounding environment, and the ecological risk of soil heavy metals in the sampling area was generally at a low risk level. (3) Children are more likely to suffer from non-carcinogenic risks; Cr is the main source of this risk (HQCr = 0.74). More than 90% of vegetables in the sampling had cancer risk, adults are more likely to suffer from carcinogenic risks, and Cd is the main source of potential cancer risk (TCR = 4.34 × 10−4). Therefore, in our study area, Cd is the main factor of soil pollution that can cause potential cancer risk through vegetable enrichment, and Cr is the main factor causing the non-carcinogenic risk of leafy vegetables.