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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Source Identification and Apportionment of Heavy
Metals in Tobacco Farmland Soils via Positive
Matrix Factorization and Geochemical Indices
1
College of Primary Education, Zhengzhou Normal University, Zhengzhou 450044, China
2
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Science, Urumqi 830011, China
3
College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
4
Guangzhou Lanshen Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510000, China
Submission date: 2025-11-10
Final revision date: 2026-01-25
Acceptance date: 2026-02-04
Online publication date: 2026-05-15
Corresponding author
KEYWORDS
heavy metalssource apportionmentecological risk assessmentpositive matrix factorization (PMF)agricultural soils
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Soil heavy metal contamination in tobacco-growing areas poses a significant threat to ecosystem
health and agricultural product safety. Precise identification of pollution sources and assessment
of ecological risks are crucial for developing targeted environmental management strategies in such
typical agricultural regions. This study conducted a systematic evaluation of pollution levels, ecological
risks, and sources of heavy metals in the soils of Zhangping County, a key tobacco-producing region
in Fujian Province, China. We collected 70 surface soil samples and analyzed the concentrations of Cd,
Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn. A comprehensive methodology was employed, including the Single-factor
Pollution Index (Pi), Nemerow Integrated Pollution Index (Pn), Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI),
and Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) for contamination and risk assessment, coupled with Principal
Component Analysis (PCA) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) for quantitative source
apportionment. Results revealed that Cd and Hg were the primary pollutants, showing significant
enrichment compared to the Fujian background values. Ecological risk assessment identified Cd and Hg
as the major risk drivers, elevating the study area to a moderate-to-considerable ecological risk level.
Igeo values confirmed the predominance of anthropogenic inputs for Cd and Hg. Source apportionment
quantitatively resolved three main sources: industrial-traffic emissions (43.1%, contributing primarily to
Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd), a mixed source of natural pedogenesis and historical agricultural activities (48.6%,
contributing predominantly to Cr, As, and Hg), and a specific agricultural source (8.3%, contributing
notably to Cd and Hg). Although the total concentrations of heavy metals did not exceed national risk
thresholds, inputs of highly toxic elements (particularly Cd and Hg) from agricultural and industrial
activities have induced significant potential ecological risks. The synergistic application of PCA
and PMF effectively elucidated the complex pollution sources. This study underscores the necessity
of prioritizing the control of anthropogenic heavy metal inputs (especially Cd and Hg) in intensive agricultural areas and provides a scientific basis for formulating precise and differentiated soil pollution
control strategies.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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