ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination
in Roadside Soils Along the Shenyang-Dalian
Highway in Liaoning Province, China
Zhang Hui1-3, Wu Caiqiu4, Gong Jiping1, Yuan Xuyin5, Wang Qiao3,7, Pei Wenming1, Long Tao1, Qiu Jie1, Zhang Hanpei6
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1Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China,
Nanjing 210042, China
2Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology,
College of Geography and Remote, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology,
Nanjing 210044, China
3School of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
4Shanghai Water Supply Administration, Shanghai, 200081, China
5College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
6The University of Hawaii, Honolulu, 96815, USA
7Satellite Environment Center, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China,
Beijing 100029, China
Submission date: 2016-11-17
Final revision date: 2017-02-09
Acceptance date: 2017-02-09
Online publication date: 2017-07-12
Publication date: 2017-07-25
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2017;26(4):1539-1549
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ABSTRACT
Heavy metal contaminations were assessed through a detailed soil survey in roadside soils along the
Shenyang-Dalian Highway of Liaoning Province, China. Pb, Cu, Cd, Ni, and Zn were analyzed using atomic
absorption spectrophotometry. The average concentrations of Pb, Cu, Cd, Ni, and Zn in roadside soils were
43.8, 26.5, 0.119, 32.1, and 71.3 mg/kg, respectively, and all concentrations exceeded the background
values. Different heavy metal distribution patterns were found under different land use types. In farmland, a
peak metal concentration occurred 25 m from the roadside soil, while in the forest and orchard soil all heavy
metals decreased with distance from the roadside, which conformed to the exponential model. Heavy metal
concentrations were markedly higher than those measured in 1999 and 2007, except for Cd. Concentrations
in soils along the Shenyang-Dalian Highway were medium or low in comparison with roadside soils in
other cities around the world. Overall, this assessment illustrates that heavy metal pollution in these soils is
generally low, and we recommend that more attention should be given to Pb contamination in roadside soils
along the Shenyang-Dalian Highway.