Diawara Moussa M, Litt Jill S, Unis Dave, Alfonso Nicholas, Martinez Leeanne, Crock James G, Smith David B, Carsella James
Department of Biology, Colorado State University--Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd, Pueblo, Colorado 81001, USA.
Environ Geochem Health. 2006 Aug;28(4):297-315. doi: 10.1007/s10653-005-9000-6. Epub 2006 Jun 4.
Decades of intensive industrial and agricultural practices as well as rapid urbanization have left communities like Pueblo, Colorado facing potential health threats from pollution of its soils, air, water and food supply. To address such concerns about environmental contamination, we conducted an urban geochemical study of the city of Pueblo to offer insights into the potential chemical hazards in soil and inform priorities for future health studies and population interventions aimed at reducing exposures to inorganic substances. The current study characterizes the environmental landscape of Pueblo in terms of heavy metals, and relates this to population distributions. Soil was sampled within the city along transects and analyzed for arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb). We also profiled Pueblo's communities in terms of their socioeconomic status and demographics. ArcGIS 9.0 was used to perform exploratory spatial data analysis and generate community profiles and prediction maps. The topsoil in Pueblo contains more As, Cd, Hg and Pb than national soil averages, although average Hg content in Pueblo was within reported baseline ranges. The highest levels of As concentrations ranged between 56.6 and 66.5 ppm. Lead concentrations exceeded 300 ppm in several of Pueblo's residential communities. Elevated levels of lead are concentrated in low-income Hispanic and African-American communities. Areas of excessively high Cd concentration exist around Pueblo, including low income and minority communities, raising additional health and environmental justice concerns. Although the distribution patterns vary by element and may reflect both industrial and non-industrial sources, the study confirms that there is environmental contamination around Pueblo and underscores the need for a comprehensive public health approach to address environmental threats in urban communities.
数十年的高强度工农业活动以及快速的城市化进程，使得科罗拉多州普韦布洛这样的社区面临土壤、空气、水和食物供应污染带来的潜在健康威胁。为解决对环境污染的此类担忧，我们对普韦布洛市进行了一项城市地球化学研究，以深入了解土壤中的潜在化学危害，并为未来旨在减少无机物质暴露的健康研究和人群干预确定优先事项。本研究从重金属方面描述了普韦布洛的环境状况，并将其与人口分布相关联。在城市内沿样带采集土壤样本，分析其中的砷（As）、镉（Cd）、汞（Hg）和铅（Pb）。我们还根据社会经济地位和人口统计学特征对普韦布洛的社区进行了剖析。使用ArcGIS 9.0进行探索性空间数据分析，并生成社区概况和预测地图。普韦布洛的表层土壤中砷、镉、汞和铅的含量高于全国土壤平均水平，不过普韦布洛的汞平均含量在报告的基线范围内。砷浓度最高水平在56.6至66.5 ppm之间。普韦布洛的几个居民区铅浓度超过300 ppm。铅含量升高集中在低收入的西班牙裔和非裔美国人社区。普韦布洛周边存在镉浓度过高的区域，包括低收入和少数族裔社区，这引发了更多健康和环境正义方面的担忧。尽管分布模式因元素而异，可能反映了工业和非工业来源，但该研究证实普韦布洛周边存在环境污染，并强调需要采取全面的公共卫生方法来应对城市社区的环境威胁。
