Non-Carcinogenic Risk Assessment for Heavy Metals in the Soil and Rice in the Vicinity of Dabaoshan Mine, South China

Abstract

Heavy-metal pollution has attracted wide attention in recent years. The problem of heavy-metal pollution in the vicinity of the Dabaoshan mine, the largest polymetallic mine in South China, has attracted widespread attention. In this study, 38 samples of rice and paddy soil near the Dabaoshan mine were collected. The physical and chemical properties of the soil, including Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, and Ni levels in the soil and rice, were analyzed. The heavy-metal baseline in paddy soil was analyzed by a normal Q–Q plot. The bioaccumulation factor of the rice was calculated. The non-carcinogenic risk of heavy metals was evaluated by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ). Threshold values of Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, and Ni were 35.01, 0.51, 70.94, 59.78, and 16.34 mg/kg, respectively. The threshold values of Cu, Zn, and Pb were higher than the background value and lower than the secondary value of China’s soil environmental quality standard. The threshold value of Cd was higher than both the background value and the secondary value of China’s soil environmental quality standard. There was no significant threshold value for Ni in soil. The bioaccumulation factors of Cd, Zn, and Ni were straw > rice > husk. The bioaccumulation factors of Cu and Pb were straw > husk > rice. The HQ of Cd showed that the values for both adults and children were greater than 1, and the HQ for children was higher than that for adults. The HQs of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ni were all less than 1. This indicated that Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb pollution had occurred in the area, and that the Cd pollution was more serious. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen land management, carry out the treatment of soil heavy metal pollution, and reduce the health risks of heavy metals in the study area.