Precision Remediation of Mining Soils through On-Site Investigation and Large-Scale Synthesized Ferrosilicate

Han Xu, Jie Liu, Na Huang, Anqing Yu, Jingyuan Li, Qiao Li, Qiunan Yang and Lulu Long ()
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Han Xu: College of Environment Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Jie Liu: Power China of Chengdu Engnieering Corporation Limited, Chengdu 611130, China
Na Huang: College of Environment Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Anqing Yu: Power China of Chengdu Engnieering Corporation Limited, Chengdu 611130, China
Jingyuan Li: Power China of Chengdu Engnieering Corporation Limited, Chengdu 611130, China
Qiao Li: Power China of Chengdu Engnieering Corporation Limited, Chengdu 611130, China
Qiunan Yang: Nanchong Institute for Food and Drug Control, Nanchong 637000, China
Lulu Long: College of Environment Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: To seek a restoration plan for the safe use of agricultural land around mining areas, this study focuses on the regions around a mining plant in Huidong County, western Sichuan Province, affected by lead–zinc mining, and the precise remediation of heavy metal pollution through large-scale synthesis of iron silicate. In this study, we investigated heavy metal pollution in the vicinity of the mining area and proposed a treatment strategy using large-scale synthesis of iron silicate to mitigate this pollution. According to field investigation and sampling analysis, the collected soil samples contained excessive Cd, Pb, and Zn. Cd is a heavy metal related to lead–zinc mining. The planting of crops such as loquats and garlic with a high accumulation coefficient for Cd was found inappropriate for the research area. Instead, it was recommended to plant economically important crops like mangoes and peaches which had lower heavy metal accumulation. On the basis of field investigation, the study area was seriously polluted by heavy metals, among which Cd was 4.0 times higher than the standard of agricultural land. In order to accurately passivate excessive Cd, Zn, and Pb, iron silicate material was put into mass production. In situ passivation experiments showed that when the soil water content was between 25% and 20%, adding 4% silicate material could rapidly reduce the content of effective heavy metals in the soil and the heavy metal content of garlic and other cash crops in the research area by about 8%. After conducting a field investigation, it has been determined that the large-scale preparation of iron silicate can accurately repair soil contaminated by heavy metals in the vicinity of mining areas. In conclusion, iron silicate is capable of effectively reducing the pollution of heavy metals on agricultural land and facilitating the safe utilization of such land.

Keywords: lead–zinc mining area; heavy metals; potential ecological risk; synthetic ferric silicate; soil remediation (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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