Soil Heavy Metal(loid) Pollution Evaluation, Risk Assessment, and Source Analysis of a Mineral Processing Plant

Wenping Luo, Pingtang Wei (), Yan Zhang () and Chengshuai Sun
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Wenping Luo: Faculty of Land Resources Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
Pingtang Wei: Kunming Geological Exploration Institute of China Metallurgical Geology Bureau, Kunming 650024, China
Yan Zhang: Faculty of Land Resources Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
Chengshuai Sun: Faculty of Land Resources Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: Yunnan Province is rich in mineral resources. Early mining, processing, metallurgy, and other mining activities produce three industrial wastes (waste water, waste gas, and waste residue) causing environmental pollution. Considering the legacy site of a mineral processing plant in Yunnan as the research object, 21 sampling points in the study area and 12 control sampling points in the periphery were set up to determine the contents of the heavy metal(loid)s As, Hg, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cr in the soil. The spatial distribution of heavy metal(loid)s was interpolated and analyzed using Arcmap10.8, and combined with the single-factor index, Nemero Comprehensive Pollution Index, and the health risk assessment method for the heavy metal(loid) pollution status and health risk of the soil were evaluated. The soil in the study area was acidic, with the largest average value of elemental As and the largest percentages of control and screening values. The results of the single-factor and Nemero composite pollution index showed the following trend: As > Pb > Cd > Cu > Ni > Hg. Cd, Cu, and Pb mainly originate from mining and metallurgy and Hg from the combustion of fossil fuels, while soil-forming substrates are the main sources of Ni. Pollution by As was the most prominent element, whereas pollution by Cd, Cu, and Pb in some areas also cannot be ignored to prevent negative impacts on residents. It is recommended to remediate and treat the soil on site for public events; therefore, this study fills the gap in studying potential ecological risks, human health risk assessments, and sources of exposure (oral ingestion, respiratory ingestion, dermal contact).

Keywords: pollution assessment; health risk assessment; soil heavy metal(loid)s; mineral processing plant legacy sites; Yunnan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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