Heavy metal contamination and health risks in soil and vegetables near a pyrite mine in Tongling, Anhui Province, China

The accumulation of heavy metals in vegetables has become a key factor affecting residents’ health. Samples of soil and vegetables surrounding a pyrite mine in Tongling, China, were collected in this study to investigate the contaminant characteristics from heavy metals. Multiple elements were measured to evaluate pollution risks. Results showed that the respective concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd were 80.84, 22.39, 149.75, 234.21, 135.70, and 3.86 mg kg−1 in soil. Cd contributed most to the integrated pollution index, followed by Cu, Pb, and Zn. Regarding vegetables, Cd contamination was most pronounced in the eggplant and green soybean samples; no heavy metal levels exceeded pollutants’ value limits in the potato and radish samples. This study demonstrates a complex relationship between soil and vegetables in terms of heavy metals; in our case, no significant correlation was observed between heavy metals in vegetables and in soil. Health risk assessment and sensitivity analysis, based on vegetable intake, indicated that Cd in vegetables most prominently affected locals’ health among the considered pollutants: it posed cancer risks for adults and children along with non-cancer risks for children. As heavy metal pollution in soil and vegetables around this mining area threatens the ecological environment and residents’ health, mitigation is necessary.