TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk assessment and interpretation of heavy metal contaminated soils on an urban brownfield site in New York metropolitan area
AU - Qian, Yu
AU - Gallagher, Frank
AU - Deng, Yang
AU - Wu, Meiyin
AU - Feng, Huan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.
PY - 2017/10/1
Y1 - 2017/10/1
N2 - In this study, soil samples were collected at 22 sites in Liberty State Park, New Jersey, in 2005, for metal enrichment and potential ecological risk assessment. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) showed that enrichment levels of trace metals followed an order of Cu > Pb > Zn > As > Cr > Hg while the potential ecological risk factor (Eri) indicated that the potential ecological risk of the metals was in the order of Cu > Pb > As > Hg > Zn > Cr. Among these 22 sites, this investigation identified 9 sites at moderate ecological risk, 3 sites at considerable ecological risk, and 4 sites at high ecological risk according to the potential ecological risk index (RI). Hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) of soil metal concentrations separated the study sites into four groups, which are supported by the significant difference in RI values. Geographically, three regions in the Liberty State Park brownfield site were determined based on the CA results and RI values. Subarea 1 had low ecological risk while subareas 2 and 3 had a greater potential for ecological risk. Significant correlations of Pb with Cr and Zn were observed in subareas 2 and 3, respectively. This study shows that statistical approaches coupled with a risk assessment index provide a more comprehensive interpretation of land contamination than a single approach in support of planning land redevelopment.
AB - In this study, soil samples were collected at 22 sites in Liberty State Park, New Jersey, in 2005, for metal enrichment and potential ecological risk assessment. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) showed that enrichment levels of trace metals followed an order of Cu > Pb > Zn > As > Cr > Hg while the potential ecological risk factor (Eri) indicated that the potential ecological risk of the metals was in the order of Cu > Pb > As > Hg > Zn > Cr. Among these 22 sites, this investigation identified 9 sites at moderate ecological risk, 3 sites at considerable ecological risk, and 4 sites at high ecological risk according to the potential ecological risk index (RI). Hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) of soil metal concentrations separated the study sites into four groups, which are supported by the significant difference in RI values. Geographically, three regions in the Liberty State Park brownfield site were determined based on the CA results and RI values. Subarea 1 had low ecological risk while subareas 2 and 3 had a greater potential for ecological risk. Significant correlations of Pb with Cr and Zn were observed in subareas 2 and 3, respectively. This study shows that statistical approaches coupled with a risk assessment index provide a more comprehensive interpretation of land contamination than a single approach in support of planning land redevelopment.
KW - Brownfield
KW - Contamination assessment
KW - Heavy metal
KW - Soil risk index
KW - Statistical analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028766785&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11356-017-9918-0
DO - 10.1007/s11356-017-9918-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 28852949
AN - SCOPUS:85028766785
SN - 0944-1344
VL - 24
SP - 23549
EP - 23558
JO - Environmental Science and Pollution Research
JF - Environmental Science and Pollution Research
IS - 30
ER -