# Pollution and Health Risk Evaluation at an Abandoned Industrial Site

## TL;DR

This study evaluates soil and groundwater pollution at an abandoned industrial site in China, assessing health and ecological risks for future land use planning.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed health and ecological risk assessment of abandoned industrial sites using multiple pollution indices and exposure pathways.

## Key findings

- Soil heavy metal concentrations were below screening thresholds, with Nemerow index values under 1.
- PAH health risks for children via ingestion were slightly higher than for adults but still within acceptable limits.
- Groundwater quality met Class IV standards, indicating no significant pollution.

## Abstract

As China’s industrialization progresses, the transformation of site properties across various regions has become increasingly common. Concurrently, with the relocation and market exit of some enterprises, the land occupied by the original factory sites has been developed for other uses. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of soil and groundwater contamination levels and the associated ecological and health risks in abandoned industrial lands. The investigation focused on analyzing heavy metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination using various assessment methods, including the single-factor pollution index, Nemerow composite pollution index, and potential ecological risk index. These methods were used to assess the contamination levels of 11 heavy metals in both soil and groundwater. Additionally, health risk assessments for PAHs were conducted using the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) models, considering both direct and indirect exposure pathways. The results indicated that the average concentration of each heavy metal in the soil did not exceed the screening thresholds, with all Nemerow index values falling below 1, suggesting that the site is not significantly polluted. Ecological risk assessment further revealed that most heavy metals posed minor risks, while some localized areas showed slight enrichment. Health risk assessments for PAHs indicated that, although the risks for both adults and children were within acceptable limits, the ingestion pathway for children showed a slightly higher risk compared to adults. The groundwater quality met Class IV standards, indicating no significant pollution. These findings provide data support and reference for future land-use planning, environmental management, and remediation strategies for abandoned industrial sites.