长江三角洲地区土壤重金属污染的防治与调控

简要介绍了长江三角洲地区土壤重金属污染现状与特点及其成因,在此基础上提出了长江三角洲土壤重金属污染防范措施和2种不同类型的治理与调控措施。针对典型污染源引起的局部重度重金属污染土壤,宜使用工程修复与植物修复及其联用技术进行调控。针对农业和交通运输业引起的大面积轻度重金属污染土壤,宜从提高土壤自净能力的角度,运用环境矿物修复和农业生态措施进行调控。继而,进一步提出了今后长江三角洲地区土壤重金属污染防治与调控的主要研究方向。     

Variability and relationships between Pb,Cu, and Zn concentrations in soil solutions and forest floor leachates at heavily polluted sites

Seasonal variability of Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in litter leachates and soil solutions was examined in an afforested zone surrounding a copper smelter in SW Poland. Litter leachates (with zero‐tension lysimeters) and soil solutions (with MacroRhizon suction‐cup samplers, installed at a depth of 25–30 cm) were collected monthly at three sites differing in contamination levels in the years 2009 and 2010 (total Cu: 2380, 439, and 200 mg kg^–1, respectively). Concentrations of Cu in the litter leachate were correlated with dissolved organic C (DOC), whereas Zn and Pb were mainly related to leachate pH. Metal concentrations in the soil solution were weakly influenced by their total content in soils and the monthly fluctuations reached 300, 600, and 700% for Cu, Pb, and Zn, respectively. Metal concentrations in soil solutions (Cu 110–460 μg L^–1; Zn 20–1190 μg L^–1; Pb 0.5–36 μg L^–1) were correlated with their contents in the litter leachates. Chemical speciation, using Visual Minteq 3.0, proved organically‐complexed forms even though the correlations between metal concentrations and soil solution pH and DOC were statistically insignificant. The flux of organically‐complexed metals from contaminated forest floors is believed to be a direct and crucial factor affecting the actual heavy metal concentrations and their forms in the soil solutions of the upper mineral soil horizons.     

Effect of the initial soil water saturation on the behaviour of a mixed LNAPL and heavy metal contaminated glaciofluvial deposit

Soil contamination by mixtures of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals is common in urban and industrial localities. Interactions between these contaminants have an impact on the mobility and the management of contamination. We have characterized the modifications to the transport of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) in soil induced by residual light non‐aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) for two conditions of trapping. Experiments on the elution of tracers and heavy metals in columns of soil were performed with a glaciofluvial material as the soil. Tracer experiments were modelled with the mobile–immobile (MIM) system of partial differential equations. The experiments were designed to compare water flow and metal transport in LNAPL‐contaminated soil with a control set. Residual LNAPL was trapped in water‐saturated and dry soil to ensure preferential wettability of soil surfaces, namely either water‐wet or LNAPL‐wet. In water‐wet soil columns, LNAPL decreased water flow by two orders of magnitude and increased the fraction of immobile water. Solute residence times (SRTs) suggested that heavy metals resided mainly in mobile water where the reaction time was sufficient to reach steady‐state retention. The SRTs also indicated that a fraction of the heavy metal flux diffused to the immobile water where its retention was limited by diffusion. Retention of heavy metals was significantly greater than in the control columns. In LNAPL‐wet soil columns, the obstruction of small pores and surface coating by residual LNAPL significantly decreased the attenuation capacity of the soil by decreasing the diffusion of heavy metals to immobile water and surface sites. Evidently, the individual behaviour of heavy metals can be significantly modified by non‐miscible organic contaminants. These modifications can have important implications for risk evaluation, contamination management and in situ remediation of soil that is contaminated by mixtures of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals.     

Cadmium contamination of soils and rice plants caused by zinc mining

Characteristics of heavy metal contamination in paddy soils were discussed with respect to the soil and field conditions influencing the metal contents in rice.

1. In contaminated areas along the Kuzuryu River, the heavy metal contents of rice (expressed as the average of each area) were largely related to contents of paddy soils in 0.1 N HCl soluble forms as well as in total contents. A correlation was also found for the ratio of Cd to Zn in their soluble forms in the soil.

2. Within a given contaminated field plot, the heavy metal contents were not uniform, i.e: they were high around the irrigation inlet and decreased towards the outlet. However, these changes seemed to alter the Cd rice level much less than expected.

3. Soil pH and exchangeable Ca were negatively correlated with the Cd content of rice at a highly significant level. An un-drained field condition with a low soil Eh remarkably lowered the Cd content, particularly during rainy weather after the heading of the plant.

4. Based on a comparison of the extractable heavy metal contents in the waste ores and their contaminated soils, sulfide minerals derived from the mining appeared to be weathered more rapidly in the soil. With some extraction methods, the Cd origin was distinguished as the solubility of the metal in the soil among the waste products from the zinc mining and refinery.     

Biological and physical resilience of soil amended with heavy metal-contaminated sewage sludge

Stability and resilience of a variety of soil properties and processes are emerging as key components of soil quality. We applied recently developed measures of biological and physical resilience to soils from an experimental site treated with metal‐contaminated sewage sludge. Soils treated with cadmium‐, copper‐ or zinc‐contaminated, digested or undigested sewage sludge were studied. Biological stability and resilience indices were: (i) the time‐dependent effects of either a transient stress (heating to 40°C for 18 hours) or a persistent stress (amendment with CuSO₄) on decomposition, and (ii) the mineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released by drying–rewetting cycles. Physical stability and resilience measures were: (i) compression and expansion indices of the soils, and (ii) resistance to prolonged wetting and structural regeneration through drying–rewetting cycles. Soil total carbon and DOC levels were greater in the sludge‐amended soils, but there were no differential effects due to metal contamination of the sewage sludge. Effects of metals on physical resilience were greater than effects on soil C, there being marked reductions in the expansion indices with Cd‐ and Cu‐contaminated sludge, and pointed to changes in soil aggregation. The rate of mineralization of DOC released by drying and wetting was reduced by Zn contamination, while biological resilience was increased in the Zn‐contaminated soil and reduced by Cd contamination. We argue that physical and biological resilience are potentially coupled through the microbial community. This needs to be tested in a wider range of soils, but demonstrates the benefits from a combined approach to the biological and physical resilience of soils.     

土壤和土壤悬液中1,2,4-三氯苯的微生物强化降解

Inoculating soil with an adapted microbial community is a more effective bioaugmentation approach than inoculation with pure strains in bioremediation.However,information on the potential of different inocula from sites with varying contamination levels and pollution histories in soil remediation is lacking.The objective of the study was to investigate the potential of adapted microorganisms in soil inocula,with different contamination levels and pollution histories,to degrade 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (1,2,4-TCB).Three different soils from chlorobenzene-contaminated sites were inoculated into agricultural soils and soil suspension cultures spiked with 1,2,4-TCB.The results showed that 36.52% of the initially applied 1,2,4-TCB was present in the non-inoculated soil,whereas about 19.00% of 1,2,4-TCB was present in the agricultural soils inoculated with contaminated soils after 28 days of incubation.The soils inoculated with adapted microbial biomass (in the soil inocula) showed higher respiration and lower 1,2,4-TCB volatilization than the non-inoculated soils,suggesting the existence of 1,2,4-TCB adapted degraders in the contaminated soils used for inoculation.It was further confirmed in the contaminated soil suspension cultures that the concentration of inorganic chloride ions increased continuously over the entire experimental period.Higher contamination of the inocula led not only to higher degradation potential but also to higher residue formation.However,even inocula of low-level contamination were effective in enhancing the degradation of 1,2,4-TCB.Therefore,applying adapted microorganisms in the form of soil inocula,especially with lower contamination levels,could be an effective and environment-friendly strategy for soil remediation.     

大冶矿区周边农田土壤和油菜重金属污染特征研究

以大冶典型铜矿区为中心,辐射周边农田,探索农田土壤重金属污染特征及重金属在油菜中的积累变化规律。结果表明,以湖北省土壤背景值进行评价,土壤受到重金属不同程度的污染,其中Cd严重超标,Cu次之;采用国家二级标准进行评价,Zn、Cr和Pb未对土壤造成污染。进行内梅罗综合污染指数法评价发现,以土壤背景值为评价标准,各采样点均达到重金属严重污染水平;以国家二级标准评价时,只有2号采样点土壤属于中度污染水平,其他样点土壤都受到了较为严重的重金属污染。矿区农田油菜各部位重金属含量变化幅度较大,包括Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd和Co在内的5种重金属含量分布规律都是茎叶〉籽粒≈根,Mn则是籽粒〉茎叶〉根。油菜地上部植株中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd含量均超出食品卫生标准最高限值,且Cd、Pb超标倍数远大于Cu、Zn。富集系数变化规律为Mn〉Zn〉Cd〉Ni〉Cu〉Pb垌Co。     

Community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with Robinia pseudoacacia in uncontaminated and heavy metal contaminated soils

The significance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in soil remediation has been widely recognized because of their ability to promote plant growth and increase phytoremediation efficiency in heavy metal (HM) polluted soils by improving plant nutrient absorption and by influencing the fate of the metals in the plant and soil. However, the symbiotic functions of AMF in remediation of polluted soils depend on plant–fungus–soil combinations and are greatly influenced by environmental conditions. To better understand the adaptation of plants and the related mycorrhizae to extreme environmental conditions, AMF colonization, spore density and community structure were analyzed in roots or rhizosphere soils of Robinia pseudoacacia. Mycorrhization was compared between uncontaminated soil and heavy metal contaminated soil from a lead–zinc mining region of northwest China. Samples were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) screening with AMF-specific primers (NS31 and AM1), and sequencing of rRNA small subunit (SSU). The phylogenetic analysis revealed 28 AMF group types, including six AMF families: Glomeraceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Diversisporaceae, Acaulosporaceae, Pacisporaceae, and Gigasporaceae. Of all AMF group types, six (21%) were detected based on spore samples alone, four (14%) based on root samples alone, and five (18%) based on samples from root, soil and spore. Glo9 (Rhizophagus intraradices), Glo17 (Funneliformis mosseae) and Acau3 (Acaulospora sp.) were the three most abundant AMF group types in the current study. Soil Pb and Zn concentrations, pH, organic matter content, and phosphorus levels all showed significant correlations with the AMF species compositions in root and soil samples. Overall, the uncontaminated sites had higher species diversity than sites with heavy metal contamination. The study highlights the effects of different soil chemical parameters on AMF colonization, spore density and community structure in contaminated and uncontaminated sites. The tolerant AMF species isolated and identified from this study have potential for application in phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated areas.     

The effect of anthropogenic activity on soil macrofauna in the area of the I.S. Turgenev memorial museum “Spasskoe-Lutovinovo”

The changes in the macrofauna were studied in soils under conditions of mowing with removal of plant residues and application of mineral and organic fertilizers in the territory of the memorial estate Spasskoe-Lutovinovo. The removal of plant residues from the soil surface was found to decrease the total number of large soil invertebrates: earthworms, myriapods, and insect larvae. The return of the plant biomass in the form of humus increases the macrofauna population. The use of urea contributes to an increase in the population of soil macrofauna some time after its application. Motor exhausts adversely affect the soil invertebrates in the sample plot nearby the parking area.     

三峡库区消落区表层土壤重金属污染评价及源解析

三峡库区是我国重要的水源地, 研究库区水陆交错带消落区内土壤重金属污染程度并解析其来源,对水库的水环境和土壤环境具有重要意义。本研究采用地质累积指数, 对三峡库区消落区175 m 水位蓄水前12 个采样区表层68 个土样的土壤重金属Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Hg、As 和Cr 污染进行评价, 结果表明: 整个研究区不受Cr 污染, 研究区70%以上面积不受Pb、Cu 和Zn 污染; 研究区As 污染最严重, 其次为Cd 和Hg。利用因子分析法对这7 种重金属来源进行解析的结果表明, 库区消落区土壤重金属源可分为2 大类别:“自然因子”类别元素(Cr、Pb、Cu 和Zn)和“工业污染因子”类别元素(Hg、As 和Cd)。消落区表层土壤重金属污染评价及源解析可为消落区生态环境的综合治理提供参考。     

Accumulation of heavy metals in oil-contaminated peat soils

X-ray fluorescence and X-ray radiometry represent easy and simple methods to determine concentrations of heavy metals in the ash of peat soils contaminated with oil and can be applied for soil monitoring purposes. Oil spills on peat bogs produce two contamination zones differing in the composition of heavy metals. In the zone of primary contamination, the peat surface is covered by a bitumen crust with V, Ni, Sr, Ba, Ce, and La accumulating there. This zone adjoins the zone of secondary peat contamination, where heavy alkaline-earth metals (Sr, Ba) and lanthanides (Ce and La) are accumulated to a lesser extent. Biological preparations recommended for remediation of oil-contaminated peat soils should be tolerant to high concentrations of heavy metals, particularly, V, Ni, and Ba that are present in the oil contaminated soils in relatively high amounts.     

Effects of carbendazim and lambda-cyhalothrin on soil invertebrates and leaf litter decomposition in semi-field and field tests under tropical conditions (Amazônia,Brazil)

Effects of the fungicide carbendazim and of the insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin on soil invertebrates and litter decomposition under tropical conditions were assessed in ecotoxicological semi-field studies using intact soil-core terrestrial model ecosystems (TMEs) and in a field test applying the litter-bag method. In the TME study, performed indoors under controlled conditions, earthworms, isopods and diplopods were added to intact soil cores and mortality of soil invertebrates and mass loss of leaf litter were assessed. The field study was performed on an abandoned rubber plantation near Manaus (Amazonia, Brazil). The measurement endpoints were abundance of the soil fauna and mass loss of leaf litter. In the TMEs carbendazim caused a decrease in the abundance of the introduced earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus and, partly, of the milliped Trigoniulus corallinus. In the field carbendazim decreased the abundance of the native earthworm Andiorrhinus amazonius. Lambda-cyhalothrin was toxic to isopods and millipedes in the TMEs, whereas no effect on arthropods was detected in the field. Organic matter breakdown measured as mass loss of leaf litter in TMEs over time revealed that the two tested agrochemicals can have an impact on decomposition at field relevant concentrations. In the field the results were less obvious, due to spatial heterogeneity through which possible effects of the tested agrochemicals could have been masked.     

Schwermetallgehalte in Waldböden Nordrhein-Westfalens -Klassifizierung und kartographische Auswertung

Heavy metal contents in forest soils of North Rhine-Westphalia - classification and cartographic evaluation Many forest areas in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) are contaminated with heavy metals. To evaluate this pollution of forest soils and its geographical distribution all available literature data on total heavy metal contents in forest soils of North Rhine-Westphalia were included in this study. The results show that an accumulation of heavy metals, especially of Pb, occurred in the litter layer and in the litter layer and in the topsoil. The highest values were measured in the vicinity of industrial areas and at elevated locations such as Egge Mountains and Teutoburger Forest. About 50 % of the samples from the litter layer and the topsoil have pH values below 3. 4. Since the translocation of heavy metals in the soil profile at this low pH increases, potential risk from the mobilization of high stores in the litter layer was estimated for several locations of North Rhine-Westphalia.     

Impact of litter quality on mineralization processes in managed and abandoned pasture soils in Southern Ecuador

Tropical regions are currently undergoing remarkable rates of land use change accompanied by altered litter inputs to soil. In vast areas of Southern Ecuador forests are clear cut and converted for use as cattle pastures. Frequently these pasture sites are invaded by bracken fern, when bracken becomes dominant pasture productivity decreases and the sites are abandoned. In the present study implications of invasive bracken on soil biogeochemical properties were investigated. Soil samples (0-5 cm) were taken from an active pasture with Setaria sphacelata as predominant grass and from an abandoned pasture overgrown by bracken. Grass (C₄ plant) and bracken (C₃ plant) litter, differing in C:N ratio (33 and 77, respectively) and lignin content (Klason-lignin: 18% and 45%, respectively), were incubated in soils of their corresponding sites and vice versa for 28 days at 22 °C. Unamended microcosms containing only the respective soil or litter were taken as controls. During incubation the amount of CO₂ and its δ¹³C-signature were determined at different time intervals. Additionally, the soil microbial community structure (PLFA-analysis) as well as the concentrations of KCl-extractable C and N were monitored. The comparison between the control soils of active and abandoned pasture sites showed that the massive displacement of Setaria-grass by bracken after pasture abandonment was characterized by decreased pH values accompanied by decreased amounts of readily available organic carbon and nitrogen, a lower microbial biomass and decreased activity as well as a higher relative abundance of actinomycetes. The δ¹³C-signature of CO₂ indicated a preferential mineralization of grass-derived organic carbon in pasture control soils. In soils amended with grass litter the mineralization of soil organic matter was retarded (negative priming effect) and also a preferential utilization of easily available organic substances derived from the grass litter was evident. Compared to the other treatments, the pasture soil amended with grass litter showed an opposite shift in the microbial community structure towards a lower relative abundance of fungi. After addition of bracken litter to the abandoned pasture soil a positive priming effect seemed to be supported by an N limitation at the end of incubation. This was accompanied by an increase in the ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacterial PLFA marker. The differences in litter quality between grass and bracken are important triggers of changes in soil biogeochemical and soil microbial properties after land use conversion.     

Microbial Communities in Long-Term Heavy Metal Contaminated Ombrotrophic Peats

High concentrations of heavy metals are known to be toxic to many soil organisms. The effects of long-term exposure to lower levels of metals on the soil microbial community are, however, less well understood. The southern Pennines of the U.K. are characterised by expanses of ombrotrophic peat soils that have experienced deposition of high levels of heavy metals since the mid to late 1800s. Concentrations of metals in the peat remain high but the effect of the contamination on the in-situ microbial communities is unknown. Geochemical and molecular polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and sequencing techniques were used to derive new information on the metal chemistry and microbial populations in peat soils from six locations in the southern Pennines. All sites were highly acidic (pH 3.00–3.14) with high concentrations of potentially toxic heavy metals, particularly porewater Zn and particulate-associated Pb. The results also reveal a split in site characteristics between the most polluted sites with the highest levels of bioavailable metals (Bleaklow, FeatherBed Moss and White Hill) and those with much lower bioavailable metals (Cowms Moor, Holme Moss and Round Hill). There was no difference in the number of dominant bacterial species between the sites but there were significant differences in the species composition. At the three sites with the highest levels of bioavailable metals, bacterial species with a high similarity to acidophilic sulphur- and iron-oxidizing bacteria and those from high metal environments were detected. The transformations carried out by these metal mobilising and acid producing bacteria may make heavy metals more bioavailable and therefore more toxic to higher organisms. Bacteria with similarity to those typically found in forest and grassland soils were documented at the three sites with the lowest levels of bioavailable metals. The data highlight the need for further studies to elucidate the species diversity and functionality of bacteria in heavy metal contaminated peats in order to assess implications for moorland restoration.     

Evaluating soluble toxicants in contaminated soils

Complex mixtures of water soluble materials from contaminated soils can move into groundwater and surface water by leaching, percolation, and runoff. We evaluated the potential toxicity of leachable materials from seven soils. Five soil samples were obtained at designated toxic or hazardous waste sites, and two additional soils samples were obtained from a coal storage area and from an agricultural field. Acidified tap water (pH 4.5) was used to extract toxic materials from elution columns filled with soil samples. Extracts were used as complex mixtures to conduct acute toxicity tests using Daphnia and chronic effects tests using aquatic microcosms. Three classes of effects were observed. Three soil leachates showed acute and chronic toxicity at less than 3% leachate. Two of these soils were contaminated by materials used in wood preserving, and the third soil was contaminated with heavy metals and acid. Two soils showed moderate acute toxicity but no chronic toxicity in microcosm tests. One of these soils was contaminated with low levels of chromium while the other soil was from a coal storage area. The remaining two soil samples showed no toxicity in either acute or chronic toxicity tests. One of these soils was from a reference agricultural field while the other soil was contaminated with solvents. The failure to detect toxicity in the solvent contaminated sample was attributed to the hydrophobicity of the toxicity materials. Results of these toxic screenings are in the same range as leachate toxicities estimated using other methods, although other methods use extraction materials that may interfere with some biological tests. Toxicological evaluations of materials from suspected contaminated soil are recommended for prioritizing clean up efforts at waste sites and for determining if toxic materials and contaminated soils have been effectively removed.     

Effect of Ni and As on radish tuber cultivated on artificially polluted soils

A pot experiment with step contamination of soil by Ni and As was performed over a 2-year period with radish. Two soils were used (heavy soil – clay-loam – and light soil – sand-loam) and four levels of contamination were selected, based on the natural abundance of the elements in these soils. Addition of Ni or As had a different inhibiting effect due to the soil quality. With Ni, the biomass production was lower in light soil, whereas with As, this reduction of plant growth was stronger in heavy soil. The ultrastructure of Ni and As contaminated tubers was investigated both in the cortical and vascular bundle cells. The cytological study demonstrated that the two pollutants induced ultrastructural changes in mitochondria. They were more obvious in the vascular tissue than in the cortex and were correlated with the growth inhibition observed in both soils. Plant tolerance to Ni and As was coherent with the content of the mobile fractions of the two elements in soil.     

Application of an algal bioassay to heavy‐metal contaminated soil samples

The aim of this study was to test the effect of heavy‐metal contamination (Cu, Zn) on the growth of Chlorella kessleri. Two soils (Chernozem and Podzoluvisol) were contaminated with several amounts of copper and zinc (100–3000 ppm), and the effects of the soil eluates on the growth of the alga were examined over several days. The soil eluates inhibited algal growth in dependence on metal concentration and soil properties. It was shown that this algal assay, which was first developed for aquatic samples, in principle seems to be suitable also in monitoring soil contamination.     

Effects of heavy metal contamination and remediation on soil microbial communities in the vicinity of a zinc smelter as indicated by analysis of microbial community phospholipid fatty acid profiles

Heavy metal contamination in an area immediately surrounding a zinc smelter has resulted in destruction of over 485 hectares of forest. The elevated levels of heavy metals in these soils have had significant impacts on the population size and overall activity of the soil microbial communities. Remediation of these soils has resulted in increases in indicators of biological activity and viable population size, which suggest recovery of the microbial populations. Questions remain as to how the metal contamination and subsequent remediation at this site have impacted the population structure of the soil microbial communities. In the current study, microbial communities from this site were analyzed by the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) procedure. Principal component analysis of the PLFA profiles indicated that there were differences in the profiles for soils with different levels of metal contamination, and that soils with higher levels of metal contamination showed decreases in indicator PLFAs for mycorrhizal fungi, Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes. PLFA profiles for remediated sites indicated that remediated soils showed increases in indicator PLFAs for fungi, actinomycetes, and Gram-positive bacteria, compared to unremediated metal contaminated soils. These data suggest a change in the population structure of the soil microbial communities resulting from metal contamination and a recovery of several microbial populations resulting from remediation.     

Heavy Metals in Soil, Crops and Grass as a Source of Human Exposure in the Former Mining Areas (6 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope   In the former mining area of Northern France, the number of diseases (cancers, malformations, backwardness...) is about ten times above the national average. Environmental surveys conducted by the Ministry of Health have showed that more than 10% of children living around a lead smelter located in this area had lead levels higher than 100 μg L-1 of blood (25% in the closest city). Two main factors contribute to the population exposure: the ingestion of plants produced in the contaminated area, and also the ingestion or the inhalation of contaminated dust or soil. It is usually known that these particles are key routes of exposure to lead for younger children, in particular via hand-to-mouth transfer. For a better understanding of this problem, researchers investigated different exposure sources like soil and vegetable contamination. Materials and Methods: All these parameters that contribute to the assessment of environmental and health risks of metal contamination have been measured. About 170 composite samples of soils around the smelter or from reference areas have been analysed, mainly from fields (70), kitchen gardens (60) and lawns (38). Total contents of Cd and Pd were measured in the organo-mineral layer (0-25cm) of soils. Composite grass samples were also taken on the lawns. Crops and vegetables were sampled from fields and kitchen gardens and then, parts of the plant intended only for consumption were washed and analysed. Results: For the organo-mineral horizon of the studied sites and located in various environmental contexts (contaminated or reference), we found a very broad range of metal concentrations. Generally, the data showed a strong variability of the physicochemical parameters of the urban soils (kitchen gardens, lawns), in particular with regard to lead. This work showed that cultivated plants (agricultural or kitchen garden) or lawn grass are also significantly contaminated by heavy metals, especially lawn grasses, cereal grains (wheat, barley) and lettuces sampled around the smelter. Moreover, the proportion of lead present on lawn grasses could reach 50% of the total contamination of the plants because of the deposition of contaminated dust. Discussion: The values of pollution in agricultural field and kitchen garden soils located near the smelter were respectively about 20 and 30 times above the agricultural regional reference values, probably due to the atmospheric emissions from a smelter that significantly increases the concentrations of metals in the upper horizons of the neighbouring soils. This pollution results in a high level of contamination of plants grown of these soils. Conclusions: The results showed that heavy metals in soils, particles (dust and soil) or plants of kitchen gardens, lawns or playgrounds could be potentially transferable to the users, and in particular to young children, and could then contribute, to a considerable share, to the exposure of the population living in a contaminated area around a smelter brought about through inhalation, direct ingestion of particles or consumption of plants. Recommendations and Perspectives: These results highlight that the consumption of home-grown vegetables can constitute a risk of exposure, in particular for cadmium, and especially in children. This work also underlined the role of the contaminated soil particles in the Pb contamination of the human food chains and their environment. Because of the complexity of the various methods of population exposure, it will be necessary to complete the data base, in partucular in urban areas. The main objective of this future work will be to relate the degree of environmental contamination with the lead level in child bood, and to integrate other environmental compartments like outdoor and indoor dust of the dwellings into the model of pathway exposure.