Spatial distribution of mercury in topsoil from five regions of China

The concentrations and distributions of mercury (Hg) in topsoil from four provinces and one municipality in China were investigated. A total of 1,254 samples were collected and analyzed. The average concentrations of Hg were 0.064 mg kg(-1) for Liaoning Province, 0.100 mg kg(-1) for Jiangsu Province, 0.110 mg kg(-1) for Zhejiang Province, 0.154 mg kg(-1) for Sichuan Province, and 0.098 mg kg(-1) for Chongqing Municipality. Although differences were found among the ranges of Hg concentrations, the average values for each region were similar with other published data. The concentrations of Hg in topsoil varied largely upon the sampling locations. More than 80 % of the soil samples from Liaoning Province, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Chongqing Municipality, were ranked Grade I by the China Environmental Quality Standard for Soils, which can be considered as not contaminated by Hg. The concentrations of Hg in 0.3-0.4 % of soils collected from Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province and Chongqing Municipality exceeded the limitation for Grade III, indicating the contamination of Hg in these sites. The sources and potential risks of Hg in these sites should be brought to attention and further investigated.