Bioavailability, transfer, toxicological effects, and contamination assessment of arsenic and mercury in soil-corn...

Sewage irrigation has solved the shortage of agricultural water and increased the content of heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in soil-crop systems, which harms human health via the food chain. In this study, 43 pairs of soil and corn samples (leaf, stem1, stem2, stem3, root, husk, grain, and corncob) were collected in the Dongdagou (DDG) and Xidagou (XDG) streams of Baiyin City. Fraction and transfer of As and Hg were investigated, and toxicological effects and contamination were assessed in soil-corn systems. The results showed that the mean values of As and Hg in soil were 33.79 mg/kg and 0.96 mg/kg, respectively, which exceeded the soil background values in Gansu Province. As and Hg are mainly dominated by the residual fraction. Total and bioavailability contributed significantly to As and Hg accumulation in corn, with root, stem3, and leaf accumulating more strongly. The results based on the bioavailability concentration soil-corn transfer factor indicated that As and Hg tended to accumulate more in the root, stem3, and leaf and less in grain, and further assessment of the human health effects of consuming contaminated cron is needed. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results showed that As and Hg were not significantly toxic to corn parts, indicating morphology. As and Hg were bound to hydroxyl groups in the outer epidermal cell wall of the roots, thereby reducing upward translocation. The trinity assessment (TA) model results indicated that the most severe contamination was found in root and stem1. The TA provides a practical tool for soil-cron systems and helps develop management strategies to prevent ecological hazards.