Heavy Metal Pollution of Soils in the Site of a Retired Paint and Ink Factory

In this paper, concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in topsoil (0-30 cm). subsoil (30-60 cm), and basal-soil (60-100 cm) in the site of a retired paint/ink manufactory nearby Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China were investigated. For the assessment of heavy metal pollution in soils, both the Index of Geo-accumulation (Igeo) and the Values of maximum allowable limits (MAL) for heavy metals in soil were used. The results indicated that the soils collected in this survey were contaminated by As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn, and chromium pollution in the soils was not apparent. Hg, As, and Cd pollution in the soils were extremely serious. Hg, As, and Cd concentrations in some soil samples were excessive to the MAL, and the safe treatments of the soils represented by these samples is needed.