Multimedia distribution and health risk assessment of typical organic pollutants in a retired industrial park

Highlights

● A fine portrayal of organic pollutants in a retired industrial park is provided.

● Key factors affecting the spatial distribution of organic pollutants are unrevaled.

● Risk classification, grading, and management are reached based on risk assessment.

Abstract

The overall cross-media risk evaluation of organic pollutants in retired industrial parks is insufficiently recognized. In this study, 11 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and 27 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured in 531 soil and groundwater samples taken from a retired industrial park by coast in Zhejiang Province, China. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), benzene, and ethylbenzene were identified as the critical pollutants in the soil, while TPHs, 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP), toluene, benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), and benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF) were identified as critical pollutants in the groundwater for exceeding China national standards. The spatial correlation between the concentrations of organic pollutants in soil and groundwater was explored by employing the Geodetector model. Based on the results of spatial interpolation, high-risk hotspots regarding soil and groundwater pollution were identified. Moreover, the possible harm to human health of the critical pollutants were also under evaluation. Among various critical pollutants, benzene, ethylbenzene, and DEHP in soil, and 1,2-DCP in groundwater, were the main contributors to the overall health risk of multimedia pollution. This study developed a comprehensive approach to assess the risks posed by specific organic toxicants in various environmental media. The findings of this work can serve as a valuable reference for future management strategies in retired industrial parks.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Organic pollutants / Retired industrial park / Spatial correlation / Health risk assessment

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Consulting Research Project of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (No. 2023-XZ-37) and the Science and Technology Research Program of Zhejiang Province (China) (No. 2020C03011).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Investigation and data collection were performed by Shijin Wu and Zijing Xiang. Data analysis and manuscript were performed by Shijin Wu. Manuscript revision, supervision, and project administration were performed by Daohui Lin and Lizhong Zhu. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Data Availability

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-023-1742-9 and is accessible for authorized users.

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