Distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in soils in the Yuanzhou District of Guyuan City, Ningxia

BI Shuhai; ZHOU Wenhui; YUAN Guoli; GAO Qi; LI Yongchun; TAI Surigala

doi:10.12029/gc20221025004

2025 Vol. 52, No. 1

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Article navigation > Geology in China > 2025 > 52(1): 289-299

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BI Shuhai, ZHOU Wenhui, YUAN Guoli, GAO Qi, LI Yongchun, TAI Surigala. 2025. Distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in soils in the Yuanzhou District of Guyuan City, Ningxia[J]. Geology in China, 52(1): 289-299. doi: 10.12029/gc20221025004

Citation:

BI Shuhai, ZHOU Wenhui, YUAN Guoli, GAO Qi, LI Yongchun, TAI Surigala. 2025. Distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in soils in the Yuanzhou District of Guyuan City, Ningxia[J]. Geology in China, 52(1): 289-299. doi: 10.12029/gc20221025004

Distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in soils in the Yuanzhou District of Guyuan City, Ningxia

1.
Hohhot General Survey of Natural Resources Center, China Geological Survey, Hohhot 010010, Inner Mongolia, China
2.
School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

Fund Project: Supported by the project of China Geological Survey (No.DD20191015).

More Information

Author Bio: BI Shuhai, male, born in 1994, engineer, mainly engaged in environmental geological research; E-mail: 2632624258@qq.com
Corresponding author: ZHOU Wenhui, male, born in 1980, professor level senior engineer, mainly engaged in land quality geochemical investigation and ecological geological investigation; E-mail: zhouwenhui8005@163.com.

Received Date: 25 October 2022

Revised Date: 28 February 2023

Publish Date: 25 January 2025

Abstract

Abstract

This paper is the result of environmental geological survey engineering.
Objective
This study investigated the contents and spatial distributions of heavy metals in surface soils in Yuanzhou District, Guyuan City, Ningxia, evaluating heavy metal accumulation and its associated ecological risk.
Methods
A total of 12988 soil samples were collected and the levels of eight heavy metals, namely, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn, were measured. The single−factor index, Nemerow comprehensive pollution index, and potential ecological hazard index were used to estimate the ecological risks associated with heavy metal contamination in soils.
Results
Compared to the background values of the Ningxia Autonomous Region, the average enrichment coefficients of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn were 1.01, 1.42, 1.04, 0.99, 1.03, 0.81, 1.01, and 1.07, respectively. Similar distributions of the eight heavy metals, with high concentrations, were observed in areas characterized by high human activity, such as the east and west sides of Liupan Mountain, as well as Guyuan City, Zhangyi Town, and Huangduobao Town. In contrast, low concentrations were observed in Tanshan Township and Zhaike Township in the northeast Quaternary areas with loess−covered soil. Single−factor index evaluation revealed that the soil was "clean" in the Yuanzhou area. Evaluation using the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index indicated that the soil pollution index of all heavy metals was less than 0.7, which is considered "clean." While the single−element potential hazard index of Cd and Hg showed a level of moderate risk, the comprehensive potential ecological hazard index of the heavy metals showed slight risk levels.
Conclusions
The soil quality in Yuanzhou District, Guyuan City, is in good condition, although slight enrichment of heavy metals was seen in the topsoil due to human activities in some areas.
- soil heavy metals /
- pollution index /
- ecological risk /
- environmental geological survey engineering /
- Guyuan City /
- Ningxia

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References

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