Arid Zone Research ›› 2014, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (4): 779-784.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2014.04.29

• Others • Previous Articles    

Hg Contamination in the Vicinity of Tianye Industrial Zone in Xinjiang

WANG Xin-hua1,2, PAN Xiang-liang1   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China;
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2013-12-02 Revised:2014-03-12 Online:2014-07-15 Published:2014-08-11

Abstract: Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic pollutant to ecosystem and human health. In this study, Hg pollution and its potential ecological risk in the vicinity of Tianye PVC Factory in Xinjiang was investigated. The total Hg concentrations in air, water, soil and plant samples collected from the study area were analyzed by the RA-915+Zeeman mercury analyzer. The results showed that gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentrations were below the national standard in the Secondary Standard of Air and Environmental Quality. It was identified that the reservoir water quality was in class IV based on the total Hg concentration. The total Hg concentration in all soil samples was within the national standard in the Secondary Standard of Soil Environmental Quality. The total Hg concentration of rice was higher than the limit for national food safety standards, and that of onion, rape and corn was below the limit. The total Hg concentration of various species of fishes were within the national standards of food hygiene standard. The Hg concentration was in an order of carnivorous fishes>omnivorous fishes>plants of predatory fish, and also an order of fish without scales>fish with scales. The results revealed that the study area was slightly polluted by Hg, and there was a potential ecological risk.

Key words: Hg, ecological risk, surface water, soil, crop, aquatic organisms, Tianye Industrial Zone in Xinjiang