Investigating contaminant distribution, health risk, and remediation of pesticide industrial sites in China

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify the major pollutants, contamination characteristics, spatial distributions, health risks, and remediation projects associated with pesticide sites and discuss challenges and countermeasures for remediation projects in the new era. Over 100 full-process environmental management reports were collected from 57 sites and analyzed. The results showed that heavy metals, BTEX, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and organochlorine pesticides were the main pollutants at pesticide industry sites in China, for instance, arsenic (PI_mean = 45.88), benzene (PI_mean = 3315.35), trichloroethylene (PI_mean = 7887.76), and hexachlorocyclohexane (PI_mean = 8087.04). Most (> 70%) sites contained soil and groundwater contaminated by a combination of multiple pollutants. Furthermore, heavily polluted sites were widely distributed in industrially developed eastern coastal areas and in the agriculturally developed Yellow River Basin, Yangtze River Basin, and North-east China. Arsenic, benzene, chloroform, and hexachlorocyclohexane were identified as the key pollutants contributing to health risks. For instance, the average carcinogenic risk of hexachlorocyclohexane can reach 2.00E-01, while the average non-carcinogenic risk of chloroform can reach 573.04. Notably, the use of off-site and one-site ex situ techniques is still common for soil remediation, whereas in situ remediation techniques are used for groundwater. However, restoration projects face challenges such as neighbor avoidance, sustainable development, and climate change in the new era, which can be addressed by optimizing management systems and improving technical systems. Overall, our findings provide a reference for pollution prevention and control of pesticide production enterprises, risk management of decommissioned enterprises, and research and development of targeted green and sustainable remediation technologies.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Pesticide-contaminated land / Spatial distribution / Clean up / Soil pollution / Groundwater pollution

Highlight

	● Multiple contaminants showed complex interactions affecting environmental risks.
	● Heavily polluted sites clustered in industrial east coast and agricultural regions.
	● Runtime, product type, and production scale jointly mediate site pollution levels.
	● Ex situ remediation dominates high-risk soil treatment.
	● Challenges and countermeasures for remediation projects in the new era explored.

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