Identification of the spatial distributions, pollution levels, sources, and health risk of heavy metals in surface dusts from Korla, NW China

作者：Adila Hayrat, Mamattursun Eziz · 发表于：Open Geosciences · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1515/geo-2020-0194 · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Heavy metals in environment、Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping、Radioactivity and Radon Measurements

Abstract A total of 54 surface dust samples were gathered from Korla in NW China, and the concentrations of six heavy metal elements, such as Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cr, and Cu, were determined by standard methods. The geostatistical analysis, multivariate statistical analysis, pollution load index (PLI), and the US EPA health risk assessment model were used to analyze the spatial distribution, pollution, and its potential health risk of heavy metals in surface dusts, and the main sources of heavy metals were also identified. The obtained results indicate that the average concentrations of As in surface dust of Korla is lower than the background values determined in Xinjiang soil, whereas the average concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Cu elements exceeded the corresponding background values by factors of 3.71, 1.87, 1.96, 1.14, and 1.29, respectively. The higher concentration of analyzed heavy metals is observed in the northeastern and northern parts in the study area. The pollution level of heavy metals decreased in the following order: Hg > Pb > Cd > Cu > Cr > As. Based on the identified concentrations, the collected dust samples are found to be heavily polluted by Hg and slightly polluted by As, and the remaining elements, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Cr, are found to be low polluted. Furthermore, the PLI values of heavy metals in surface dust vary between 0.74 and 2.74, with an average value of 1.40, at the low pollution level. In addition, As in surface dust in the study ar...