Evaluation of heavy metal content in agricultural soil samples in the Mekong Delta region, VietNam and human health risks

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Abstract
Salinity intrusion due to climate change, together with industrialization and farming activities, has increased the heavy metal content in soil, causing serious risks to ecosystems and human health. In this study, neutron analysis was applied to determine the metal content in soil samples, exposure dose, pollution index, and multivariate statistical analysis was used to evaluate the characteristics of each area. The results showed that the Zn content (235 mg/kg) in Soc Trang and Cr (213 mg/kg) in An Giang exceeded the permissible limit of Vietnam. Notably, the enrichment factor of U (Kien Giang) elements increased by 5.66 times compared to the background level. Although most elements tended to be enriched, metals such as As went against this trend. Principal component analysis revealed distinct regional distributions of observed variables in soils, while hierarchical clustering (AHC) and correlations between metals revealed strong associations between them in the environment. Children are at higher risk of both cancer and non-cancer events than adults when exposed to heavy metals and environmental pollutants through ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation.
Funding Information
  • vietnam national university, Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam (B2023-18-13)

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