Spatial pattern of heavy metal concentration in the soil of rapid urbanization area: a case of Ehu Town, Wuxi City, Eastern China

Urbanization has an important effect on the soil ecosystem. Anthropogenic activities during urban sprawl are the sources and methods of migration, transition, and concentration of heavy metals in the soil. In this paper, the Yangtze River delta, the fastest urbanization area in China, was selected to study the influence of urbanization on heavy metal concentration in the soil. The analysis was performed on 218 samples collected from a typical industrial town in the delta. The content of six heavy metals (Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, and Zn) was measured, which showed that the soil was seriously polluted by heavy metals, particularly Hg. In the study area, human activities were the major factors for the heavy metal concentration in the soil. The average content of Hg in the 0–500 m zone from the urban core was 1.4 mg/kg, about five times higher than the grade II threshold of the Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for Soils. The content of Hg, Cd, Pb, and Cu decreased gradually with increasing distance from the core of the built-up area, especially Hg. The influence of the anthropogenic activities was found to be anisotropic, and effects in the direction of 315° and 225° were most significant. Hg pollution in the 225° direction of the study area was more serious. These results suggested that the urbanization process affects not only the content but also the spatial pattern of heavy metal concentration in the soil.