Contamination, Source Apportionment, and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils Surrounding a Typical Copper Tailings Pond

Minsi Xiao, Shitong Xu, Bing Yang, Guangcong Zeng, Lidan Qian, Haiwei Huang and Sili Ren ()
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Minsi Xiao: Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Mining & Metallurgy Environmental Pollution Control, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341400, China
Shitong Xu: Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Mining Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341400, China
Bing Yang: Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Mining Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341400, China
Guangcong Zeng: Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Mining Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341400, China
Lidan Qian: Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Mining Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341400, China
Haiwei Huang: Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Mining Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341400, China
Sili Ren: Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Mining & Metallurgy Environmental Pollution Control, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341400, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: Tailings resulting from mining and smelting activities may cause soil heavy-metal pollution and harm human health. To evaluate the environmental impact of heavy metals from tailings on farmland soils in the surrounding area, heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in tailings and farmland soils in the vicinity of a typical copper tailings pond were analyzed. Contamination status, potential sources, and health risks for farmland soils were investigated. The results showed that the tailings contained a high concentration of Cu (1136.23 mg/kg). The concentrations of Cd and Cu in the farmland soils exceeded the soil quality standard. The geoaccumulation index ( I geo ) indicated that the soils were moderately polluted by Cu and Cd, and slightly polluted by Ni, Cr, and Zn. The absolute principal component scores–multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model was applied for source apportionment. The results showed that tailings release is the main source of soil heavy-metals contamination, accounting for 35.81%, followed by agricultural activities (19.41%) and traffic emission (16.31%). The health risk assessment suggested that the children in the study region were exposed to non-carcinogenic risks caused by As, while the non-carcinogenic risk to adults and the carcinogenic risk to both adults and children were at acceptable levels. It is necessary to take effective measures to control heavy-metal contamination from tailings releases to protect humans, especially children, from adverse health risks.

Keywords: heavy metals; farmland soils; source apportionment; APCS-MLR model; health risk assessment; mine tailings pond (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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