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Heavy metal(loid) pollution in mine wastes of a Carlin-type gold mine in southwestern Guizhou, China and its environmental impacts

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Abstract

Mercury pollution resulting from artisanal gold mining is a serious environmental problem in many developing countries. In this study, we analyzed heavy metal(loid) contamination in mine wastes from a Carlin-type gold mine in southwestern Guizhou, China. Highly elevated levels of As, Hg, Tl, Sb, and Cd—up to 5844, 28, 29, 581 and 3.0 mg/kg, respectively—were observed in the mine wastes, but no significant accumulation of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb was found. The smelting process of gold ores had significant impacts on the enrichment of As, Tl, and Hg in the mine wastes. Due to the significant metal(loid) pollution in this gold mine, the ecological risks are classified as “very high.” Hg and As are the major pollutants with a relative contribution of 55.9 % and 24.2 % to the risk index, respectively. Phytoremediation could be used to reduce heavy metal contamination and recycle the gold simultaneously. Hg–As–Tl pollution should be considered in gold extraction at Carlin-type gold mines.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Social Development Project of Guizhou Province (2012–3044), the Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Province (2009–2003), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21007068 and 41373135).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China

    Ping Li, Jianxu Wang & Zhonggen Li

  2. Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Guiyang, 550081, China

    Junfang Zhang

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  1. Ping Li
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  2. Junfang Zhang
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  3. Jianxu Wang
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  4. Zhonggen Li
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Correspondence to Ping Li.

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Li, P., Zhang, J., Wang, J. et al. Heavy metal(loid) pollution in mine wastes of a Carlin-type gold mine in southwestern Guizhou, China and its environmental impacts. Chin. J. Geochem. 34, 311–319 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-015-0055-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-015-0055-5

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