Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil and Soybean near the Dabaoshan Mine, South China

Concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni in soybean (Glycine max L.) grown near the Dabaoshan Mine were investigated, and their potential risk to the health of inhabitants was estimated. In the Fandong (FD) and Zhongxin (ZX) villages, which are near the Dabaoshan mineral deposit, concentrations of Pb (0.34 mg kg−1 for FD), Cd (0.23 mg kg−1 for ZX) and Cr (1.14 and 1.75 mg kg−1 for FD and ZX, respectively) in the seeds of soybean exceeded the tolerance limit set by Chinese standards. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) from consumption of soybean seeds for FD inhabitants were 0.570, 0.170, 38.550, 142.400, 1.910 and 14.530 μg d−1 kg−1 boby weight for Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni, respectively. Our results indicate that soybeans grown in the vicinity of the Dabaoshan Mine accumulate some metals, and the seeds pose a potential health risk to the local inhabitants.