XX Congreso Latinoamericano y XVI

Congreso Peruano de la Ciencia del Suelo

Global Perspective: Heavy Metal

Contamination and challenge to food
security
Z.L. He, X.E. Yang, P.J. Stoffella, & V. C. Baligar
University of Florida-IFAS, IRREC, Fort Pierce, FL 34951, USA
College of Environ & Resource Sci, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou,
China
USDA-ARS-Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA

Heavy metals
Elements with metallic properties and an
atomic mass > 20
Micronutrients: Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo,
Ni, Co, Cr (for animals)
Toxic: Cd, Pb, Ag, Hg, and As
(metalloid)
Precious: Ag, Au, Pt,
Most common contaminants: Cd, Cr,
Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, As

Soil Pollution in the World

Country

Number of sites

Metal
(loid)s

USA

>100000

>70%

China

>20 million ha
arable land

>70%

European >80000
Union

>37%

Australia

> 50000

>60%

Global

> 107

> 50%

Sources:

http://www2.epa.gov/cleanups; Chen et al. 1999;

http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/soilcontamination-1.
Australia Environmental Protection Authority, 2012.

The global distribution of fish mercury concentrations

(ppm, on a wet weight basis). (Source: Evers et al., 2012)

(Source: Evers et al., 2012)

Global arsenic contamination areas

Source: Ahmed M. F. 2004.

Cadmium accumulation in cacao bean

EU MCL
0.6 ppm

Source: Chavez et al, 2014, Poster# 4-52

Overview of contaminants affecting soil and ground water in Europe

Source: European Environmental Agency, 2007. Progress in management of contaminated

sites (CSI 015/LSI 003), http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators

Heavy metal pollution in China

Contaminated Arable land (by Cd, As, Cr, Pb): 20
million ha, 20% of the total national arable land
area
Contaminated grain (Cd): 12 million tons per yr,
economic loss: >$3 billion US dollars per yr.
Reduction in grain production: >10 million
tons/yr.

Source: IT Brand Supply Chain, 2010

Sources of Heavy Metals

Natural processes: inherited from parent materials
through weathering:
General:
Igneous rocks > sedimentary rocks
Basic rocks > neutral> acidic rocks
Fine sedimentary > coarse sedimentary

Exceptional:
Serpentine: high Mg, and trace metals, > 500 mg
kg-1 Cr
Black shales: >200 mg kg-1 Cd, >1000 mg kg-1 Cu, Ni,
or Zn

Metals and metalloids in rocks (mg kg-1)

Elem Basaltic
ents igneous

Granitic
igneous

Shales and
Clays

Limestone Sandstone

As

0.2 10

0.2 13.8

1 - 17

0.1 8.1

0.6

Cd

0.006 0.6 0.003 0.18

0 11

0.05

0.05

Cr

40 600

2 90

30 590

10

35

Co

24 90

1 15

5 25

0.1

0.3

Cu

30 160

4 - 30

18 120

Hg

0.002 0.5 0.005 0.4

0.005 -0.51 0.01

0.22

0.001 0.3

Pb

2 18

6 30

16 50

<1 31

Mo

0.9 7

16

2.5

0.4

0.2

Ni

45 410

2 20

20 250

20

Se

0.05 0.11 0.05 0.06

0.08

0.05

Zn

48 - 240

20

2 41

5 - 140

18 180

Mean concentrations (mg kg-1) of heavy

metal(loids) in soils. (Source: He et al, 2005)
Metal (loid)s
As
Cd
Cr
Co
Cu

Chinese soils
10.38
0.097
<100
5-40
22

Hg
Pb
Ni
Se

0.04
13 42
35
0.29

Zn

<3 - 790

World soils Metal-rich soils

9.36
250 - 2500
0.06
20 800
20 200
NA
10 - 40
100 - 300
20
>2000
0.03
10 - 100
10 150
>1%
40
800 8000
0.20
7
>1%
10 - 300

Mining
Smeltering

Agriculture

Sources of
heavy metals

Corrosion

Waste disposal
Fossil fuel combustion

Anthropogenic sources of heavy metal pollution

Accumulative

Persistent

Like chemical time

bombs

Not biodegradable

Nature of
heavy metal
pollution

Highly mobile

Biological
magnification

Rapidly moving to
the environment

Food chain
contamination

Acute toxicity
plant, microbe,
animals, humans

Heavy metal pollution impacts

Soil productivity
Water quality and safety

Food quality and safety

Cd?

Crop production
Phytotoxicity/nutrition disorder

Economic losses:
World: >$10 billion/yr
China: > $3 billion/yr

Human health
Living
standards

Impact of heavy metals on soil quality

Soil acidification: with a pH decrease by 1-2.
Decreased microbial biomass/activity and
changed microbial community structure, thus
affecting nutrient cycling;
Deteriorated physical properties such as soil
compact/reduced porosity;
Unbalanced nutrient supply, particularly trace
elements;
Enhanced metal toxicity to crops/plants;
Enhanced water/air pollution.

The pH changes in relation to Cd2+

adsorption in the two variable charge soils
2+

The amount of Cd

-1

adsorbedmg kg )

10

15

-0.2

20

25

30

yRAR = 0.0006x - 0.0592x - 0.0489

2
R = 0.9704

-0.4

pH

-0.6
-0.8
-1
-1.2
2

-1.4

yREQ = 0.003x - 0.1264x + 0.0799

2
R = 0.9839

RAR
-1.6

REQ

Effects on Crop production

Plant physiology: Inhibition of
photosynthesis, enzyme activity and protein
synthesis ;
Nutrition disorder: antagonistic effects on the
uptake of other cations, particularly trace
elements (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn)
Nutrient imbalance: antagonistic effects on
the availability of other cations, particularly
trace elements (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn).
Food contamination: heavy metal
accumulation in edible parts such as Cd in rice
grain and cacao bean.

Food Security
Global population: 7.5 billion by 2020
Total food demand by 2020 (millions of tons):
Cereals: 2497; Meat products: 327
>95% of human food from land (soils)
Loss of land due to soil pollution:
10 million ha/yr
Economic loss due to heavy metal pollution:
>10 billion/yr

Human Exposure & Health Effects

Metals
Cd

Soil
x

Exposure
Air Water Food
x
X
xxxx

Pb

xx

Hg

xx

xxxx

As

xxx

xx

Cr

xx

xxx

Health effects*
Kidney disease, lung
damage, bone fragility
Brain damage, blood
pressure rise,
reproduction failure
Carcinogens, damage
to brain/kidney
Carcinogens (skin,
lungs, liver, bladder)
Carcinogens, damage
to liver, kidney, skin

*Martin and Griswold, 2009. Environ. Sci. and Techol. Briefs for Citizens Issue 15.

Management of Heavy Metal Pollution

Source control
Point sources: discharge/emission regulations
Nonpoint sources: agriculture-fertilizers,
pesticides, irrigation, waste management

Remediation
Technical feasibility
Economic costs

Metal concentrations (mg kg-1) in biosolids and limits

for land application in the USA and other countries.
HM

Reported

Media

U. S.

EU

Canada German Nether Sweden

lands

Zn

101- 49000

725

2800

25004000

4200

2500

300

800

Cd

<1 - 3410

39

20-40

34

10

1.25

Cu

84- 17000

463

1500

10001750

1700

800

75

600

Ni

2 - 8330

29

420

300-400

420

200

30

50

Pb

13- 26000

106

300

750-1200

1100

900

100

100

As

NA

NA

41

NA

170

NA

25

NA

Hg

0.6 110

17

16-25

11

0.75

2.5

Cr

10- 99000

40

NA

NA

2800

900

75

100

Ref:

Chaney, R. L. et al., 2001; Walker J. M. 2001. In: Stoffella P J, and Khan B A

(Eds) Compost Utilization in Horticultural Cropping Systems. CRC Press

Cd limits for P fertilizers in several countries

(Mortvedt, 1995)
Countries

Cd limit (mg/kg P) Effective yr

Australia

300

2000

Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Japan
Sweden
Switzland
Norway
The Netherlands

120
200
110
50
200
343
100
50
50
35

In effect
Voluntary
In effect
In effect
Voluntary
In effect
In effect
In effect
In effect
In effect

Soil Pollution and Remediation Costs

Country

Number of
sites

Metal
(loid)s

Cost (US$)

USA

>100000

>70%

>100 billion

China

>20 million ha 100%

arable land

> 3 billion

European
Union

>80000

37%

> 10 billion

Australia

> 50000

>60%

8 billion

Global

> 107

> 50%

>100 billion

Sources:

http://www2.epa.gov/cleanups; Chen et al. 1999;

http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/soil-contamination-1.
Australia Environmental Protection Authority, 2012.

Annual expenditure for the management of contaminated

sites as % of GDP in Europe

Remediation strategies
Physical: soil scavenge, dilution, leaching,
electrical dialysis
Chemical: precipitation, inactivation,
chelation, oxidation/reduction,
amendment
Biological: enhanced transformation to
less available forms, enhanced emission to
the air
Phytoremediation: cost-effective, less byeffects, remediation without stopping crop
production

Governmental regulations
Soil protection law
Control of pollution sources:
Fertilizers/pesticides
Waste disposals
Use of manures/organic matters
Establishment of soil standards for heavy
metals
Establishment of food standards for
consumption

Regulatory standards of heavy metals in

Agricultural soil (mgkg-1)
Country/ As
Region

Cd

Cr

Cu

Hg

Ni

Pb

Zn

References

Australian

20

50

100

60

300

200

Au-EPA, 2012

Canada

20

250

150

0.8

100 200

500

Canadian
ME, 2011

China

20-40 0.30.6

150- 50350 100

0.31.0

4060

200300

China EPB,
2008

Taiwan

60

250

200

200 500

600

Choi, 2011

Tanzania

100

200

100 200

150

EMR, 2007

Netherland

76

13

180

190

36

100 530

720

SMC, 2009

NZ

17

290

>104 200

USA

0.11

0.43

11

270

80

160
72

200

NZME, 2012
1100

USEPA 2002

National and International standards for drink and food (ppm)

Metal(loid)s Drink/food
As

Cd

Cr

Hg

Pb

China/2010 EU/2006

USA

Codex

Water/beverage

0.01

0.01

0.01

0.01

Liquid (oils, milk)

0.1

0.1

Solid (grains, vegetables, meats)

0.2-0.5

0.5

Water/beverage

.003-.005

0.005

0.005

0.003

Liquid (oils, milk)

Solid (grains, vegetables, meats)

0.05-0.5

0.05-0.5

0.05-0.5

Water/beverage

0.05

0.1

Liquid (oils, milk)

0.3

Solid (grains, vegetables, meats)

0.5-1.5

Water/beverage

0.001

0.001

0.002

0.001

Liquid (oils, milk)

0.01

Solid (grains, vegetables, meats)

0.05-0.1

0.1-0.5*

0.1

Water/beverage

0.01-0.3

0.01

0.015

0.01

Liquid (milk, oils)

0.05

0.02-0.1

0.02-0.1

Solid (grains, vegetables, meats)

0.1-1.0

0.1-0.5

0.1-0.5

Concluding Remarks
Soil Heavy metal pollution occurs worldwide
and impacts global food security and human
health.
Due to its nature of persistence,
accumulation, biological magnification, and
mobility, it is crucial to control pollution
sources.
Remediation of polluted soil can be costly and
long-lasting.

Concluding Remarks
Management of heavy metal pollution requires
community participation, societal efforts and
governmental regulations.
New laws are needed to protect soils from heavy
metal pollution, particularly to control point and
nonpoint sources.
Progresses have been made in establishing
standards of heavy metals for soil, water, air, and
food, but more efforts are required to develop a
complete set of standards for the international
communities.

Thank you for your attention