[Heavy Metal Emissions from Coal-fired Power Plants and Heavy Metal Pollution Characteristics and Health Risks in Surrounding Soils].
Kai Che, Chong-Ming Chen, Qingyu Zheng, Huiqing Fan, Minglei Wei, Peng Luo, Jinxing Yu
Abstract
. The average contents of Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, and Ni in the surface soil surrounding the coal-fired power plant were higher than the background values of Hebei soil, and the contents were 1.16-2.32 times higher than the background values. The heavy metal content in the soil around the power plants was proportional to the heavy metal emissions in the flue gas. The heavy metal content in the soil under different wind directions first increased and then decreased gradually with the increase in distance from the power plants. Source analysis showed that coal combustion emissions contributed the most to heavy metals in soil around the power plants (41.4%), followed by industrial emissions (23.6%) and transportation emissions (19.6%). Altogether, human activities played a leading role in soil heavy metal enrichment, accounting for 84.6%. The health risk assessment showed that the overall health risk of metal elements in the soil surrounding the power plant was within acceptable limits.