IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i23p16186-d992475.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Potential Risk, Spatial Distribution, and Soil Identification of Potentially Toxic Elements in Lycium barbarum L. (Wolfberry) Fruits and Soil System in Ningxia, China

Author

Listed:
  • Tongning Zhou

    (College of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China)

  • Yan Wang

    (College of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China)

  • Jiaqi Qin

    (College of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China)

  • Siyuan Zhao

    (College of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China)

  • Deyan Cao

    (College of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China)

  • Meilin Zhu

    (College of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
    College of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China)

  • Yanxue Jiang

    (College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China)

Abstract

Eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs, including nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and mercury (Hg)) in Lycium barbarum L. (wolfberries) and the associated root soil from a genuine producing area were analyzed. The potential ecological risk of PTEs in the soil and the health risk of PTEs through wolfberry consumption were determined. Geostatistical methods were used to predict the PTE concentrations in the wolfberries and soil. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to identify the source of PTEs in the soil. The PTE concentrations in the soils were within the standard limits, and Cd in the wolfberries exceeded the standard limit at only one site. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) order for the different PTEs was Cd > Cu > 1 > Zn > Cr > As > Ni > Pb, indicating that Cd and Cu were highly accumulated in wolfberries. The multiple regression models for Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, and Cr concentrations in the wolfberries exhibited good correlations ( p < 0.1). The ecological risk for Hg in the soil was high, whereas the risks for the remaining PTEs were mostly medium or low. Health risks for inhabitants through wolfberry consumption were not obvious. The spatial distributions of the PTEs in the soil differed from the PTE concentrations in the wolfberries. Source identification results were in the order of natural source (48.2%) > industrial activity source (27.8%) > agricultural activity source (14.5%) > transportation source (9.5%). The present study can guide the site selection of wolfberry cultivation and ensure the safety of wolfberry products when considering PTE contamination.

Suggested Citation

  • Tongning Zhou & Yan Wang & Jiaqi Qin & Siyuan Zhao & Deyan Cao & Meilin Zhu & Yanxue Jiang, 2022. "Potential Risk, Spatial Distribution, and Soil Identification of Potentially Toxic Elements in Lycium barbarum L. (Wolfberry) Fruits and Soil System in Ningxia, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:16186-:d:992475
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/16186/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/16186/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Guangjie Zhao & Xianqing Li & Jiewang Zhu & Xueyan Zhao & Jizhen Zhang & Jia Zhai, 2021. "Pollution Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in Soils around the Yanzhuang Gold Mine Tailings Pond, Pinggu County, Beijing, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-16, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jaskaran Kaur & Sartaj Ahmad Bhat & Navdeep Singh & Sandip Singh Bhatti & Varinder Kaur & Jatinder Kaur Katnoria, 2022. "Assessment of the Heavy Metal Contamination of Roadside Soils Alongside Buddha Nullah, Ludhiana, (Punjab) India," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-24, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:16186-:d:992475. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.