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Magnesium Contamination in Soil at a Magnesite Mining Region of Liaoning Province, China

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Abstract

Magnesite is the world’s most important source material for magnesia refractory production, and Haicheng City in Liaoning Province, China has been called “the magnesium capital of the world.” However, magnesite mining in these areas has caused serious environmental problems. Field investigations have shown that the soil profile of many sites in the mining region are contaminated by magnesium, and the magnesium-enriched crusts that have formed on the soil surface have affected ecologically important soil functions, particularly reduced water penetration rate. Laboratory experiment revealed that anionic polyacrylamide and calcium dihydrogen phosphate can be used to improve soil condition, and have positive effects on soil function. The findings of this study are of significance in the magnetite mining areas, providing clear options for the remediation of soils that should be carried out immediately.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the twelfth Five-year national science and technology support program (2012BAC13B03) and High Technology Development Project of Liaoning Provincial Industrial Special Resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Lei Wang, Peidong Tai, Chunyun Jia, Xiaojun Li & Peijun Li

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Lei Wang

  3. Shenyang Academies of Environmental Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Lei Wang

  4. Department of Resource Management and Geography, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3051, Australia

    Xianzhe Xiong

Authors
  1. Lei Wang
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  2. Peidong Tai
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  3. Chunyun Jia
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  4. Xiaojun Li
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  5. Peijun Li
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  6. Xianzhe Xiong
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Correspondence to Chunyun Jia or Xianzhe Xiong.

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Wang, L., Tai, P., Jia, C. et al. Magnesium Contamination in Soil at a Magnesite Mining Region of Liaoning Province, China. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 95, 90–96 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1530-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1530-8

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