Abstract
Mineralogy was an important driver for the environmental release of heavy metals. Therefore, the present work was conducted by coupling mineral liberation analyzer (MLA) with complementary geochemical tests to evaluate the geochemical behaviors and their potential environmental risks of heavy metals in the smelter contaminated soil. MLA analysis showed that the soil contained 34.0% of quartz, 17.15% of biotite, 1.36% of metal sulfides, 19.48% of metal oxides, and 0.04% of gypsum. Moreover, As, Pb, and Zn were primarily hosted by arsenopyrite (29.29%), galena (88.41%), and limonite (24.15%), respectively. The integrated geochemical results indicated that among the studied metals, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn were found to be more bioavailable, bioaccessible, and mobile. Based on the combined mineralogical and geochemical results, the environmental release of smelter–driven elements such as Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn were mainly controlled by the acidic dissolution of minerals with neutralizing potential, the reductive dissolution of Fe/Mn oxides, and the partial oxidation of metal sulfide minerals. The present study results have confirmed the great importance of mineralogy analysis and geochemical approaches to explain the contribution of smelting activities to soil pollution risks.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
This published article contains all the generated data of this study.
References
Aguilar-Carrillo J, Herrera L, Gutierrez EJ et al (2018) Solid-phase distribution and mobility of thallium in mining-metallurgical residues: Environmental hazard implications. Environ Pollut 243 (Part B): 1833–1845.
Akhavan A, Golchin A (2021) Estimation of arsenic leaching from Zn-Pb mine tailings under environmental conditions. J Clean Prod 295:126477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126477
Amar H, Elghali A, Benzaazoua M (2021) Geochemical behaviour of benign desulphurised waste rocks for mine drainage control and sustainable management. J Geochem Explor 225:106767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2021.106767
Amnai A, Radola D, Choulet F (2021) Impact of ancient iron smelting wastes on current soils: Legacy contamination, environmental availability and fractionation of metals. Sci Total Environ 776:145929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145929
Antonio DC, Caldeira CL, Freitas ETF (2021) Effects of aluminum and soil mineralogy on arsenic bioaccessibility. Environ Pollut 274:116482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116482
Bakircioglu D, Kurtulus YB, Ibar H (2011) Comparison of Extraction Procedures for Assessing Soil Metal Bioavailability of to Wheat Grains. Clean-Soil, Air, Water 39(8):728–734
Bari ASMF, Lamb D, Choppala G (2020) Geochemical fractionation and mineralogy of metal(loid)s in abandoned mine soils: Insights into arsenic behaviour and implications to remediation. J Hazard Mater 399:123029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123029
Beauchemin S, Clemente JS, Thibault Y (2018) Geochemical stability of acid-generating pyrrhotite tailings 4 to 5 years after addition of oxygen-consuming organic covers. Sci Total Environ 645:1643–1655
Berryman EJ, Paktunc D (2021) Cr(VI) formation in ferrochrome-smelter dusts. J Hazard Mater 422:126873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126873
Bosso ST, Enzweiler J (2008) Bioaccessible lead in soils, slag, and mine wastes from an abandoned mining district in Brazil. Environ Geochem Hlth 30(3):219–229
Chao TT (1972) Selective dissolution of manganese oxides from soils and sediments with acidified hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Soil Sci so Am J 36:764–768
Ciminelli VST, Antonio DC, Caldeira CL et al (2018) Low arsenic bioaccessibility by fixation in nanostructured iron (Hydr)oxides: Quantitative identification of As-bearing phases. J Hazard Mater 353:261–270
Cleaver AE, Jamieson HE, Rickwood CJ et al (2021) Tailings dust characterization and impacts on surface water chemistry at an abandoned Zn-Pb-Cu-Au-Ag deposit. App Geochem 128:104927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2021.104927
Covre WP, Ramos SJ, Pereira WVD et al (2022) Impact of copper mining wastes in the Amazon: Properties and risks to environment and human health. J Hazard Mater 421:126688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126688
Dutton MD, Vasiluk L, Ford F et al (2019) Towards an exposure narrative for metals and arsenic in historically contaminated Ni refinery soils: relationships between speciation, bioavailability, and bioaccessibility. Sci Total Environ 2019(686):805–818
Elghali A, Benzaazoua M, Bouzahzah H et al (2021) Role of secondary minerals in the acid generating potential of weathered mine tailings: crystal-chemistry characterization and closed mine site management involvement. Sci Total Environ 784:147105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147105
Ettler V, Cihlova M, Jarosikova A et al (2019) Oral bioaccessibility of metal(loid)s in dust materials from mining areas of northern Namibia. Environ Int 124:205–215
Ettler V, Stepanek D, Mihaljevic M et al (2020) Slag dusts from Kabwe (Zambia): contaminant mineralogy and oral bioaccessibility. Chemosphere 260:127642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127642
Fernandez-Caliani JC, Giraldez MI, Barba-Brioso C (2019) Oral bioaccessibility and human health risk assessment of trace elements in agricultural soils impacted by acid mine drainage. Chemosphere 237:124441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124441
Fry KL, Gillings MM, Isley CF et al (2021) Trace element contamination of soil and dust by a New Caledonian ferronickel smelter: dispersal, enrichment, and human health risk. Environ Pollut 288:117593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117593
Fu YH, Li Z, Zhou AN et al (2019) Evaluation of coal component liberation upon impact breakage by MLA. Fuel 258:116136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2019.116136
Gerdelidani AF, Towfighi H, Shahbazi K et al (2021) Arsenic geochemistry and mineralogy as a function of particle-size in naturally arsenic-enriched soils. J Hazard Mater 403:123931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123931
Gomes FP, Barreto MSC, Amoozegar A et al (2022) Immobilization of lead by amendments in a mine-waste impacted soil: assessing Pb retention with desorption kinetic, sequential extraction and XANES spectroscopy. Sci Total Environ 807(Part 1): 150711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150711
Gonzalez-Grijalva B, Meza-Figueroa D, Romero FM et al (2019) The role of soil mineralogy on oral bioaccessibility of lead: implications for land use and risk assessment. Sci Total Environ 657:1468–1479
Grammatikopoulos T, Howard S, Alexander C et al (2020) Investigation of low-grade REE offshore sands from North and South Carolina, and Georgia, USA, using automated mineralogy. J Geochem Explor 208:106398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2019.106398
He BH, Wang W, Geng RY et al (2021) Exploring the fate of heavy metals from mining and smelting activities in soil-crop system in Baiyin. NW China Ecotoxi Environ Safe 207:111234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111234
Helser J, Vassilieva E, Cappuyns V (2022) Environmental and human health risk assessment of sulfidic mine waste: bioaccessibility, leaching and mineralogy. J Hazard Mater 424(Part A): 127313: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127313
Islam MR, Sanderson P, Naidu R et al (2021) Beryllium in contaminated soils: Implication of beryllium bioaccessibility by different exposure pathways. J Hazard Mater 421:126757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126757
Jiang ZC, Guo ZH, Peng C et al (2021a) Heavy metals in soils around non-ferrous smelteries in China: status, health risks and control measures. Environ Pollut 282:117038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117038
Jiang L, Sun HJ, Peng TJ et al (2021b) Comprehensive evaluation of environmental availability, pollution level and leaching heavy metals behavior in non-ferrous metal tailings. J Environ Manage 290:112639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112639
Jordanova N, Jordanova D, Tcherkezova E et al (2021) Advanced mineral magnetic and geochemical investigations of road dusts for assessment of pollution in urban areas near the largest copper smelter in SE Europe. Sci Total Environ 792:148402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148402
Kang MJ, Yu S, Jeon SW et al (2021) Mobility of metal(Ioid)s in roof dusts and agricultural soils surrounding a Zn smelter: focused on the impacts of smelter-derived fugitive dusts. Sci Total Environ 757:143884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143884
Li SZ, Zhao B, Jin M et al (2020) A comprehensive survey on the horizontal and vertical distribution of heavy metals and microorganisms in soils of a Pb/Zn smelter. J Hazard Mater 400:123255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123255
Li Y, Padoan E, Ajmone-Marsan F (2021) Soil particle size fraction and potentially toxic elements bioaccessibility: a review. Ecoto Environ Safe 209:111806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111806
Liu B, Yao J, Ma B et al (2021a) Microbial community profiles in soils adjacent to mining and smelting areas: contrasting potentially toxic metals and co-occurrence patterns. Chemosphere 282:130992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130992
Liu B, Yao J, Ma B et al (2022) Metal(loid)s diffusion pathway triggers distinct microbiota responses in key regions of typical karst non-ferrous smelting assembly. J Hazard Mater 423(Part B): 127164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127164
Liu BX, Luo J, Jiang S et al (2021b) Geochemical fractionation, bioavailability, and potential risk of heavy metals in sediments of the largest influent river into Chaohu Lake. China Environ Pollut 290:118018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118018
Liu H, Dong Y, Wang YJ et al (2021c) A universal method for efficient extraction of soil available elements and its application. Soils 53(5):1040–1047 ((In Chinese))
Liu YJ, Wu SL, Nguyen TAH et al (2018) Microstructural characteristics of naturally formed hardpan capping sulfidic copper-lead-zinc tailings. Environ Pollut 242(Part B): 1500–1509.
Mehta N, Cipullo S, Cocerva T et al (2020) Incorporating oral bioaccessibility into human health risk assessment due to potentially toxic elements in extractive waste and contaminated soils from an abandoned mine site. Chemosphere 255:126927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126927
Nguyen TAH, Liu YJ, Wu SL et al (2020) Unravelling in-situ hardpan properties and functions in capping sulfidic Cu-Pb-Zn tailings and forming a duplex soil system cover. J Hazard Mater 425:127943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127943
Pacyna JM, Pacyna EG (2001) An assessment of global and regional emissions of trace metals to the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources worldwide. Environ Rev 9(4):269–298
Palmer MJ, Jamieson HE, Radkova AB et al (2021) Mineralogical, geospatial, and statistical methods combined to estimate geochemical background of arsenic in soils for an area impacted by legacy mining pollution. Sci Total Environ 776:145926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145926
Park I, Tabelin CB, Jeon S et al (2019) A review of recent strategies for acid mine drainage prevention and mine tailings recycling. Chemosphere 219:588–606
Qu MK, Chen J, Huang B et al (2021) Resampling with in situ field portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (FPXRF) to reduce the uncertainty in delineating the remediation area of soil heavy metals. Environ Pollut 271:116310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116310
Rivera MB, Giraldez MI, Fernandez-Caliani JC (2016) Assessing the environmental availability of heavy metals in geogenically contaminated soils of the Sierra de Aracena Natural Park (SW Spain). Is there a health risk? Sci Total Environ 560–561:254–265
St-Arnault M, Vriens B, Klein B et al (2019) Mineralogical controls on drainage quality during the weathering of waste rock. Appl Geochem 108:104376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2019.104376
Tessier A, Campbell PGC, Bisson M et al (1979) Sequential extraction procedure for the speciation of particulate trace metals. Anal Chem 51(7):844–851
Tonha MS, Garnier J, Araujo DF et al (2020) Behavior of metallurgical zinc contamination in coastal environments: a survey of Zn from electroplating wastes and partitioning in sediments. Sci Total Environ 743:140610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140610
Tuhy M, Hrstka T, Ettler V (2020) Automated mineralogy for quantification and partitioning of metal(loid)s in particulates from mining/smelting-polluted soils. Environ Pollut 266(Part 1): 115118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115118
Wang JX, Xu DM, Fu RB et al (2021) Bioavailability assessment of heavy metals using various multi-element extractants in an indigenous zinc smelting contaminated site, Southwestern China. Int J Environ Res Pub He 18(6):8560. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168560
Xu DM, Fu RB, Tong YH et al (2021a) The potential environmental risk implications of heavy metals based on their geochemical and mineralogical characteristics in the size-segregated zinc smelting slags. J Clean Prod 315:128199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128199
Xu DM, Fu RB, Wang JX et al (2021b) The geochemical behaviors of potentially toxic elements in a typical lead/zinc (Pb/Zn) smelter contaminated soil with quantitative mineralogical assessments. J Hazard Mater Volume 424(Part A): 127127 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127127
Xu DM, Zhan CL, Liu HX et al (2019) A critical review on environmental implications, recycling strategies, and ecological remediation for mine tailings. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26(35):35657–35669
Xu L, Dai HP, Skuza LD et al (2021c) Comprehensive exploration of heavy metal contamination and risk assessment at two common smelter sites. Chemosphere 285:131350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131350
Zhao XL, He BH, Wu HY et al (2020) A comprehensive investigation of hazardous elements contamination in mining and smelting-impacted soils and sediments. Ecotox Environ Safe 192:110320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110320
Zheng XM, Zhang ZY, Chen JC et al (2021) Comparative evaluation of in vivo relative bioavailability and in vitro bioaccessibility of arsenic in leafy vegetables and its implication in human exposure assessment. J Hazard Mater 423(Part A): 126909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126909
Zhong QH, Yin ML, Zhang Q et al (2021) Cadmium isotopic fractionation in lead-zinc smelting process and signatures in fluvial sediments. J Hazard Mater 411:125015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.125015
Zhou YT, He HP, Wang J et al (2021) Stable isotope fractionation of thallium as novel evidence for its geochemical transfer during lead-zinc smelting activities. Sci Total Environ 803:150036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150036
Zhou YT, Wang LL, Xiao TF et al (2020) Legacy of multiple heavy metal(loid)s contamination and ecological risks in farmland soils from a historical artisanal zinc smelting area. Sci Total Environ 720:137541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137541
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the editors and anonymous reviewers for their positive comments and suggestions to significantly improve the original version of this manuscript.
Funding
This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFC1805205).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Da-Mao Xu: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, analysis, interpretation, writing–original draft, writing–review & editing, final approval of the manuscript. Rong-Bing Fu: funding acquisition, project administration, writing–review and editing. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical approval
Not applicable.
Consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent to publish
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The author declares no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible editor: Kitae Baek
Publisher's note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Xu, DM., Fu, RB. A typical case study from smelter–contaminated soil: new insights into the environmental availability of heavy metals using an integrated mineralogy characterization. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 57296–57305 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19823-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19823-6