Research on the ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil around a Pb–Zn mine in the Huize County, China

Abstract

The soil pollution by heavy metals was characterized in the mine tailings and surrounding soils of an old Pb–Zn mine in Huize County. Three hundred and ninety-six samples of agricultural and non-agricultural soil were analyzed for the total metal concentration by acid digestion and sixty-eight selected soil samples were used to determine the chemical fractionation of heavy metals with the modified BCR sequential extraction method. The pollution index of the heavy metals indices for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn of non-agricultural soil and agricultural soils in the study area indicated the spreading of heavy metal pollution. Sequential extraction showed that most of Cd existed in an exchangeable form (31.2 %). The available content of Pb, Cu and Zn was mainly distributed in acid extractable fractions and Fe/Mn oxide fractions (27.9, 30 and 27.2 %), and Hg, As and Cr were mainly associated with residual fractions (90.4, 72.9 and 76.8 %). The risks of heavy metals were also evaluated by the risk assessment code (RAC) and potential ecological risk index, respectively. The results of RAC showed a medium and high risk of Cd (45.6 and 54.4 %), medium risk of Zn (100 %), low and medium risk of Cu (41.2 and 58.8 %), largely no risk of Hg (97.1 %), and mainly low risk of As and Pb (92.6 and 91.8 %). The range of the potential ecological risk of soil was 58.2–1839.3, revealing a considerably high ecological risk in the study area, most likely related to acid mine drainage and the mining complexes located in the area. The results can be used during the ecological risk screening stage, in conjunction with the total concentrations and metal fractionation values, to better estimate ecological risk.