Effects of location, climate, soil conditions and plant species on levels of potentially toxic elements in Chinese Prickly Ash pericarps from the main cultivation regions in China.

This study reports levels of aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni) in the soils where Chinese Prickly Ash - Zanthoxylum bungeanum (ZB) and Z. armatum (ZA) are grown. Soil and pericarp samples were taken from 72 ZB and ZA plantations in 12 provinces. The soil pollution index (PI) was generally low for As (0.04-0.35), Pb (0.01-0.74) and Ni (0.15-1.06). The PI was higher for Cd (0.06-6.99) and was assessed at three categorical levels: 'low' (in 26% of soils), 'moderate' (in 67% of soils) and high (in 7% of soils). The majority (94%) of soils were slightly polluted with Cd with the integrated pollution index in the range 0.17-2.02. More than 60% of pericarp samples posed a high non-cancer health risk based on the hazard index, while 43% of pericarp samples posed a considerable cancer risk based on the incremental lifetime cancer risk. The mean temperature and the mean relative humidity contributed most significantly (28% and 10%, respectively) to variation in the concentrations of potentially toxic elements in the pericarps. This study provides a comprehensive report on the concentrations of potentially toxic elements in the soils and associated pericarps, and the effects of location, climate, and soil on the levels of potentially toxic elements in the soil and pericarps, including the effects of tree species. PMID: 31812048 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: Chemosphere - Category: Chemistry Authors: Tags: Chemosphere Source Type: research