Abstract
The contaminated soil by mining activities could be transported through the erosive effect of wind. In this study, human health risk was assessed for exposure to heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) present in surface soil of Irankouh zinc–lead mine, (the nearest mine to Isfahan, Iran) as one of the main dust storm sources. The effect of improper mining waste and tailings management in the Irankouh zinc–lead mine was not deeply investigated. Thus, 65 surface soil samples were collected (mining and residential area) and subjected into chemical analyses, then various assessment approaches were conducted on the obtained data. It was found that the mean concentrations of Zn (1035.2 mg kg−1, SD = 563.7), Cd (2.53 mg kg−1, SD = 1.1), and Pb (281.7 mg kg−1, SD = 115.6) were higher in the study area than in the Earth’s crust. Results of enrichment factor (EF) represented high enrichment with the mean values for Cd (5.75), Zn (7.29), and Pb (4.42) in the study area. The considerable ecological risk (RI = 497.95) and high contamination degree (mCd = 11.83) obtained in this study implicated the potential of high health risk in the mining area. Moreover, the results of multivariate analysis techniques revealed a high interrelation between Pb, Zn, and Cd and their common anthropogenic origin in the residential area. All the calculated HI values were higher than one indicated probable adverse effect on human health due to the mining activities. In general, the proper waste management of Irankouh zinc–lead mine should be planned and performed to reduce its environmental adverse effects.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrahim GMS, Parker RJ (2007) Assessment of heavy metal enrichment factors and the degree of contamination in marine sediments from Tamaki Estuary, Auckland, New Zealand. Environ Monit Assess 136:227–238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-007-9678-2
Acosta JA, Cano AF, Arocena JM et al (2009) Distribution of metals in soil particle size fractions and its implication to risk assessment of playgrounds in Murcia City (Spain). Geoderma 149:101–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.11.034
Anju M, Banerjee DK (2012) Multivariate statistical analysis of heavy metals in soils of a Pb-Zn mining area, India. Environ Monit Assess 184:4191–4206. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2255-8
Arabyarmohammadi H, Darban AK, Abdollahy M et al (2018) Utilization of a novel chitosan/clay/biochar nanobiocomposite for immobilization of heavy metals in acid soil environment. J Polym Environ 26:2107–2119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-017-1102-6
Ayati F, Dehghani H, Mokhtari A, Mojtahedzadeh SH (2014) Determination of elemental paragensis at Gushfil (Irankuh) Pb–Zn deposit by mineralographic and geochemical studies. J Anal Numer Methods Min Eng 3(6):83–91 (In Persian)
Bhuiyan MAH, Parvez L, Islam MA et al (2010) Heavy metal pollution of coal mine-affected agricultural soils in the northern part of Bangladesh. J Hazard Mater 173:384–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.08.085
Csavina J, Field J, Taylor MP et al (2012) A review on the importance of metals and metalloids in atmospheric dust and aerosol from mining operations. Sci Total Environ 433:58–73
Devesa-Rey R, Díaz-Fierros F, Barral MT (2010) Trace metals in river bed sediments: an assessment of their partitioning and bioavailability by using multivariate exploratory analysis. J Environ Manage 91:2471–2477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.06.024
El Azhari A, Rhoujjati A, El Hachimi ML, Ambrosi JP (2017) Pollution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in the soil-plant system and the sediment-water column around a former Pb/Zn-mining area in NE Morocco. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 144:464–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.06.051
EPA (1996) Acid digestion of sediments, sludges, and soils. 1–12
Fernandez-Turiel JL, Aceñolaza P, Medina ME et al (2001) Assessment of a smelter impact area using surface soils and plants. Environ Geochem Health 23:65–78. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011071704610
Fryer M, Collins CD, Ferrier H et al (2006) Human exposure modelling for chemical risk assessment: a review of current approaches and research and policy implications. Environ Sci Policy 9:261–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2005.11.011
Gargouri D, Azri C, Serbaji MM et al (2011) Heavy metal concentrations in the surface marine sediments of Sfax Coast, Tunisia. Environ Monit Assess 175:519–530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1548-7
Ghaderian SM, Hemmat GR, Reeves RD, Baker AJM (2007) Accumulation of lead and zinc by plants colonizing a metal mining area in Central Iran. J Appl Bot Food Qual 81:145–150
Ghazban F, McNutt RH, Schwarcz HP (1994) Genesis of sediment-hosted Zn–Pb–Ba deposits in the Irankuh district, Esfahan area, west-central Iran. Econ Geol 89:1262–1278. https://doi.org/10.2113/gsecongeo.89.6.1262
Hakanson L (1980) An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. Water Res 14:975–1001. https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(80)90143-8
Heiri O, Lotter AF, Lemcke G (2001) Loss on ignition as a method for estimating organic and carbonate content in sediments: reproducibility and comparability of results. J Paleolimnol 25:101–110. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008119611481
Hosseini-Dinani H, Aftabi A, Esmaeili A, Rabbani M (2015) Composite soil-geochemical halos delineating carbonate-hosted zinc–lead–barium mineralization in the Irankuh district, Isfahan, west-central Iran. J Geochemical Explor 156:114–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2015.05.007
Igwe O, Adepehin EJ, Iwuanyanwu C, Una CO (2014) Risks associated with the mining of Pb–Zn minerals in some parts of the Southern Benue trough, Nigeria. Environ Monit Assess 186:3755–3765. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3655-3
Ikem A, Adisa S (2011) Runoff effect on eutrophic lake water quality and heavy metal distribution in recent littoral sediment. Chemosphere 82:259–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.09.048
Jamshidi-Zanjani A, Saeedi M (2013) Metal pollution assessment and multivariate analysis in sediment of Anzali International Wetland. Environ Earth Sci 70:1791–1808. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2267-5
Jamshidi-Zanjani A, Saeedi M, Li LY (2015) A risk assessment index for bioavailability of metals in sediments: Anzali International Wetland case study. Environ Earth Sci 73:2115–2126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3562-5
Jamshidi-Zanjani A, Saeedi M (2017) Multivariate analysis and geochemical approach for assessment of metal pollution state in sediment cores. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:16289–16304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9248-2
Kabata-Pendias A (2004) Soil-plant transfer of trace elements—an environmental issue. In: Geoderma. pp 143–149
Kabata-Pendias A, Mukherjee A (2007) Trace elements from soil to human. Springer, Berlin
Khedhiri S, Semhi K, Duplay J, Darragi F (2011) Comparison of sequential extraction and principal component analysis for determination of heavy metal partitioning in sediments: the case of protected Lagoon El Kelbia (Tunisia). Environ Earth Sci 62:1013–1025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0589-0
Kim KR, Owens G, Naidu R (2009) Heavy metal distribution, bioaccessibility, and phytoavailability in long-term contaminated soils from Lake Macquarie, Australia. Aust J Soil Res 47:166–176. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR08054
Li Z, Ma Z, van der Kuijp TJ et al (2014) A review of soil heavy metal pollution from mines in China: pollution and health risk assessment. Sci Total Environ 468–469:843–853
Lu S, Wang Y, Teng Y, Yu X (2015) Heavy metal pollution and ecological risk assessment of the paddy soils near a zinc–lead mining area in Hunan. Environ Monit Assess 187:627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4835-5
Lü J, Jiao WB, Qiu HY, Chen B, Huang XX, Kang B (2018) Origin and spatial distribution of heavy metals and carcinogenic risk assessment in mining areas at You’xi County southeast China. Geoderma 310:99–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.09.016
Luo XS, Yu S, Li XD (2012) The mobility, bioavailability, and human bioaccessibility of trace metals in urban soils of Hong Kong. Appl Geochem 27:995–1004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2011.07.001
Madrid F, Biasioli M, Ajmone-Marsan F (2008) Availability and bioaccessibility of metals in fine particles of some urban soils. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 55:21–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-007-9086-1
Micó C, Recatalá L, Peris M, Sánchez J (2006) Assessing heavy metal sources in agricultural soils of an European Mediterranean area by multivariate analysis. Chemosphere 65:863–872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.03.016
Monterroso C, Rodríguez F, Chaves R et al (2014) Heavy metal distribution in mine-soils and plants growing in a Pb/Zn-mining area in NW Spain. Appl Geochem 44:3–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.09.001
Moreno-Jiménez E, Peñalosa JM, Manzano R, Carpena-Ruiz RO, Gamarra R, Esteban E (2009) Heavy metals distribution in soils surrounding an abandoned mine in NW Madrid (Spain) and their transference to wild flora. J Hazard Mater 162:854–859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.05.109
Muñoz I, Gómez-Ramos MJ, Agüera A et al (2009) Chemical evaluation of contaminants in wastewater effluents and the environmental risk of reusing effluents in agriculture. Trends Anal Chem 28:676–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2009.03.007
Narwal RP, Singh BR (1998) Effect of organic materials on partitioning, extractability and plant uptake of metals in an alum shale soil. Water Air Soil Pollut 103:405–421. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004912724284
Nganje TN, Adamu CI, Ukpong EE (2010) Heavy metal concentrations in soils and plants in the vicinity of Arufu lead–zinc mine, Middle Benue Trough, Nigeria. Chin J Geochem 29:167–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-010-0167-x
Obiora SC, Chukwu A, Toteu SF, Davies TC (2016) Assessment of heavy metal contamination in soils around lead (Pb)–zinc (Zn) mining areas in Enyigba, southeastern Nigeria. J Geol Soc India 87:453–462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-016-0413-x
Ordóñez A, Álvarez R, Charlesworth S et al (2011) Risk assessment of soils contaminated by mercury mining, Northern Spain. J Environ Monit 13:128–136. https://doi.org/10.1039/c0em00132e
Pavilonis B, Grassman J, Johnson G et al (2017) Characterization and risk of exposure to elements from artisanal gold mining operations in the Bolivian Andes. Environ Res 154:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2016.12.010
Qu C, Sun K, Wang S et al (2012) Monte carlo simulation-based health risk assessment of heavy metal soil pollution: a case study in the Qixia Mining Area, China. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 18:733–750. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2012.688697
Rafiei B, Khodaei AS, Khodabakhsh S, Hashemi M, Nejad MB (2010) Contamination assessment of Lead, Zinc, Copper, Cadmium, Arsenic and antimony in Ahangaran mine soils, Malayer, west of Iran. Soil Sediment Contam 19:573–586. https://doi.org/10.1080/15320383.2010.499921
Rieuwerts JS, Farago ME, Cikrt M, Bencko V (2000) Differences in lead bioavailability between a smelting and a mining area. Water Air Soil Pollution. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005251527946
Saeedi M, Jamshidi-Zanjani A (2015) Development of a new aggregative index to assess potential effect of metals pollution in aquatic sediments. Ecol Indic 58:235–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.05.047
Salonen VP, Korkka-Niemi K (2007) Influence of parent sediments on the concentration of heavy metals in urban and suburban soils in Turku, Finland. Appl Geochem 22:906–918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.02.003
Sakan SM, Dordević DS, Manojlović DD, Predrag PS (2009) Assessment of heavy metal pollutants accumulation in the Tisza river sediments. J Environ Manage 90:3382–3390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.05.013
Samara C, Voutsa D (2005) Size distribution of airborne particulate matter and associated heavy metals in the roadside environment. Chemosphere 59:1197–1206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.11.061
Siegel FR (2002) Environmental geochemistry of potentially toxic metals. Springer, Berlin
Streiner DL (1994) Figuring out factors: the use and misuse of factor analysis. Can J Psychiatry 39:135–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674379403900303
Sungur A, Soylak M, Yilmaz E et al (2015) Characterization of heavy metal fractions in agricultural soils by sequential extraction procedure: the relationship between soil properties and heavy metal fractions. Soil Sediment Contam 24:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15320383.2014.907238
Varol M (2011) Assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediments of the Tigris River (Turkey) using pollution indices and multivariate statistical techniques. J Hazard Mater 195:355–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.08.051
Zhou JM, Dang Z, Cai MF, Liu CQ (2007) Soil heavy metal pollution around the Dabaoshan Mine, Guangdong Province, China. Pedosphere 17:588–594. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(07)60069-1
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) for their financial support for the present research under grant number 97018415.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
No author has any conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Abouian Jahromi, M., Jamshidi-Zanjani, A. & Khodadadi Darban, A. Heavy metal pollution and human health risk assessment for exposure to surface soil of mining area: a comprehensive study. Environ Earth Sci 79, 365 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09110-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09110-3