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<p>Understanding heavy metals (HMs) contamination status in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) is critical for regional ecological safety and public health. This study presented a comprehensive investigation of levels, spatial distribution, source apportionment, ecological and probabilistic health risks of seven HMs in 81 surface soil samples from the YRD. Mean concentrations of Zn (67.25&#xa0;mg/kg) and As (10.68&#xa0;mg/kg) slightly exceed local background values, while overall contamination levels remained low to moderate relative to similar regions globally. These HMs showed marked spatial heterogeneity, with accumulation hotspots concentrated in central industrial zones. Source apportionment using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model identified three primary contributors: natural sources (Cr: 51.5% and Ni: 40.0%), traffic emissions (Cu: 37.0%, Zn: 47.2%, Cd: 46.1%), and industrial activities (Zn: 52.8%, Pb: 40.0%, Cd: 52.6%), confirming the significant influence of petrochemical operations and vehicular emissions. Pollution indices (I<sub>geo</sub> and EF) revealed localized enrichment of Cd, Cu, and Zn at specific sites, with Cd being the most prominent contaminant. Ecological risk assessment indicated generally low regional risk, though Cd posed moderate to considerable risk at localized hotspots, particularly site DY-33 (<InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\({E}_{r}^{i}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <msubsup> <mi>E</mi> <mrow> <mi>r</mi> </mrow> <mi>i</mi> </msubsup> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> up to 127). Probabilistic health risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation indicated that non-carcinogenic risk remained within acceptable thresholds for all population groups (HI &lt; 1). However, total carcinogenic risk exceeded the safety threshold (1E−06), with children identified as the most vulnerable subpopulation (mean TCR = 4.61E−06) exhibiting significantly higher exposure risk than adults. These findings provide data support for a systematic understanding of soil HMs pollution and its potential risks in the YRD region.</p>

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Assessment of heavy metal contamination in Yellow River Delta surface soils: spatial distribution, sources, ecological risks, and probabilistic health implications

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月16日

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  • Zongyu Zou,
  • Sedan Tan,
  • Zhongkang Yang

摘要

Understanding heavy metals (HMs) contamination status in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) is critical for regional ecological safety and public health. This study presented a comprehensive investigation of levels, spatial distribution, source apportionment, ecological and probabilistic health risks of seven HMs in 81 surface soil samples from the YRD. Mean concentrations of Zn (67.25 mg/kg) and As (10.68 mg/kg) slightly exceed local background values, while overall contamination levels remained low to moderate relative to similar regions globally. These HMs showed marked spatial heterogeneity, with accumulation hotspots concentrated in central industrial zones. Source apportionment using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model identified three primary contributors: natural sources (Cr: 51.5% and Ni: 40.0%), traffic emissions (Cu: 37.0%, Zn: 47.2%, Cd: 46.1%), and industrial activities (Zn: 52.8%, Pb: 40.0%, Cd: 52.6%), confirming the significant influence of petrochemical operations and vehicular emissions. Pollution indices (Igeo and EF) revealed localized enrichment of Cd, Cu, and Zn at specific sites, with Cd being the most prominent contaminant. Ecological risk assessment indicated generally low regional risk, though Cd posed moderate to considerable risk at localized hotspots, particularly site DY-33 ( \({E}_{r}^{i}\) E r i up to 127). Probabilistic health risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation indicated that non-carcinogenic risk remained within acceptable thresholds for all population groups (HI < 1). However, total carcinogenic risk exceeded the safety threshold (1E−06), with children identified as the most vulnerable subpopulation (mean TCR = 4.61E−06) exhibiting significantly higher exposure risk than adults. These findings provide data support for a systematic understanding of soil HMs pollution and its potential risks in the YRD region.