Source-specific soil heavy metal risk assessment in arsenic waste mine site of Yunnan: Integrating environmental and biological factors

Weigang Huang; Yanwei Liu; Xiaoyang Bi; Yan Wang; Huashou Li; Junhao Qin; Jingjing Chen; Zhepu Ruan; Guikui Chen; Rongliang Qiu

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136902

Source-specific soil heavy metal risk assessment in arsenic waste mine site of Yunnan: Integrating environmental and biological factors

J Hazard Mater. 2024 Dec 20:486:136902. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136902. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Weigang Huang¹, Yanwei Liu¹, Xiaoyang Bi¹, Yan Wang¹, Huashou Li¹, Junhao Qin¹, Jingjing Chen², Zhepu Ruan³, Guikui Chen⁴, Rongliang Qiu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
² Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi 435002, China.
³ Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.

PMID: 39721480
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136902

Abstract

This study quantified heavy metal (HM) pollution risks in mining site soils to provide targeted solutions for environmental remediation. Focusing on As waste mine sites in Yunnan, we utilised multiple indices and a positive matrix factorisation model to assess and quantify ecological health risks. Our ecological risk assessment distinguished between environmental and biological factors. This study demonstrated that As and Pb are the most impactful contaminants in environmental and biological contexts, respectively. Notably, the quantification of ecological risk sources indicated that agricultural sources were the main environmental influencers, accounting for 58.45 % of the total impact. Consequently, Cu from agricultural sources has become a primary environmental HM target, replacing As. In the quantification of health risk sources, mining and smelting activities predominantly contributed to health risks, contributing 23 % and 39.81 % of the Non-Carcinogenic Risk and 47.98 % and 42.96 % of the Carcinogenic Risk, respectively. The representative pollution source elements As and Cd were consistent with the health risk assessment results. This study refined the ecological risk assessment framework by distinguishing between environmental and biological factors, providing crucial insights into the rehabilitation of mine sites and formulation of effective environmental management strategies.

Keywords: Heavy metal; Mine soil; Risk assessment; Risk quantification; Source identification.