Concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals in vegetation at two abandoned mine tailings in South Korea

Untreated abandoned mines may result in hazards to ecosystems due to dispersion of various toxic elements such as arsenic (As) and lead (Pb). Phytoremediation is an alternative of remediation for large scale mine dumps. Plant species were sampled from two abandoned gold (Au) mines in South Korea. Plant samples were digested following the guidelines of US EPA Method 3050 (US-EPA, 1996) and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Concentrations and bioaccumulation factors of plants are reported and out-performing species are summarized. Poplar trees (Populus davidiana) growing on the Myoungbong tailings were suggested to be a potential species for revegetation of large scale Au mine tailings. Arsenic accumulations of bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum) sampled from the Duckum tailings were far lower than those of the reported hyperaccumulators, but the possible chronic adverse effects on residents through daily diet are of concern.     

Assessment of toxicity of heavy metal contaminated soils by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure

The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in soils near a lead–zinc mine located in Shangyu, Zhejiang Province, China, were determined and their toxicity was assessed using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The TCLP method is a currently recognized international method for evaluation of heavy metal pollution in soils. The available levels of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd were 8.2–36, 23–143, 6.4–1367 and 0.41–2.2 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, while the international standards were 15, 25, 5 and 0.5 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Soils around the mine were more polluted with Zn and Pb, followed by Cd and Cu. Moreover, the levels of heavy metals in the soils extracted by TCLP indicated that extraction fluid 2 was more effective than extraction fluid 1 in extracting the heavy metals from the polluted soils and there was a positive correlation between fluids 1 and 2. Available heavy metal contents determined by TCLP were correlated with soil total heavy metal contents.     

Relative extraction ratio (RER) for arsenic and heavy metals in soils and tailings from various metal mines, Korea

This study focused on the evaluation of leaching behaviours for arsenic and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soils and tailings contaminated by mining activities. Ten representative mine soils were taken at four representative metal mines in Korea. To evaluate the leaching characteristics of the samples, eight extraction methods were adapted namely 0.1?M HCl, 0.5?M HCl, 1.0?M HCl, 3.0?M HCl, Korean Standard Leaching Procedure for waste materials (KSLP), Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP), Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and aqua regia extraction (AR) methods. In order to compare element concentrations as extraction methods, relative extraction ratios (RERs, %), defined as element concentration extracted by the individual leaching method divided by that extracted by aqua regia based on USEPA method 3050B, were calculated. Although the RER values can vary upon sample types and elements, they increase with increasing ionic strength of each extracting solution. Thus, the RER for arsenic and heavy metals in the samples increased in the order of KSLP?相似文献   

TCLP法评价酸性矿山废水污染稻田土壤重金属的生态风险

采用美国最新的法定重金属污染评价方法TCLP(Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure,TCLP)法对粤北大宝山矿山下游受酸性矿山废水长期污染的稻田土壤的重金属(Cd、Zn、Pb、Cu)污染状况进行评价,以国际规定的TCLP法标准评价重金属生态环境风险.结果表明,TCLP试剂提取的土壤重金属Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn含量分别在0.02～0.58、1.42～38.07、0.16-31.01和1.84～75.29 mg·kg-1之间.酸性矿山废水污染稻田土壤不同程度地受到Cd、Cu、Pb、Zn的污染,其中以Pb、Zn污染最为严重,其次为Cu污染,Cd污染程度最轻.     

Electro-remediation of tailings from a multi-metal sulphide mine: comparing removal efficiencies of Pb,Zn, Cu and Cd

Sulphidic mine tailings characterised by high concentrations of heavy metals (Pb 3532?±?97?mg/kg, Zn 8450?±?154?mg/kg, Cu 239?±?18?mg/kg and Cd 14.1?±?0.3?mg/kg) and abundant carbonate (17%) were subjected to eight lab-scale electrodialytic remediation (EDR) experiments to investigate the influence of current density, treatment time and particle size on removal efficiency. Pb and Cu removal improved when increasing current density, while Zn and Cd removal did not. In contrast Zn and Cd removal improved by grinding the tailings, while Pb and Cu removal did not. At the highest current density (1.2?mA/cm²), 94%, 75%, 71% and 67% removal of Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd could be achieved, respectively, on grinded tailings in 28 days. Sequential chemical extraction made before and after EDR revealed larger oxidisable fractions of Zn, Cu and Cd, representing large fractions of sulphides, which was likely to be the main barrier to be removed as efficiently as Pb. This was in accordance with acid/base extraction tests in which Pb showed high solubility at both high and low pH (up to 65% and 86% of extraction, respectively), while considerable extraction of Zn (55%) happened only at low pH; and very limited extraction (<20%) of Cu and Cd occurred at any pH.     

Geochemical distribution of trace element concentrations in the vicinity of Boroo gold mine, Selenge Province, Mongolia

The environmental impacts of Boroo gold mine project in Mongolia was evaluated by chemical characterization of trace element concentrations in water, soils and tailing dam sediment samples. The results showed that concentrations of B, Cd, Ni and Se in the water samples were within the accepted levels of the Mongolia water quality standard (MNS4586: 1998). However, the concentrations of Al, As, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb, U and Zn were higher than the maximum allowable concentration especially in the monitoring and heap leach wells. The average concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the tailing dam sediment were 4419, 58.5, 56.0, 4.8, 20.6 and 25.7 mg/kg, respectively. Generally, arsenic and heavy metals in the soil samples were within the acceptable concentrations of the soil standard of Mongolia (MNS 5850: 2008). The chemical characterization of As solid phase in tailing dam sediment showed that the majority of As were found in the residual fraction comprising about 74% of total As. Assessing the potential risk to humans, simple bioavailability extraction test was used to estimate bioavailability of arsenic and heavy metals, and the concentrations extracted from tailing dam sediment were; 288.2 mg/kg As, 7.2 mg/kg Cd, 41.1 mg/kg Cu, 13.5 mg/kg Pb, 4.7 mg/kg Ni and 23.5 mg/kg Zn, respectively. From these results, the Boroo gold mine project has presently not significantly impacted the environment, but there is a high probability that it may act as a source of future contamination.     

Effects of three low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) and pH on the mobilization of arsenic and heavy metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) from mine tailings

Natural organic acids may play an important role in influencing the mobility of toxic contaminants in the environment. The mobilization of arsenic (As) and heavy metals from an oxidized Pb–Zn mine tailings sample in the presence of three low-molecular-weight organic acids, aspartic acid, cysteine, and succinic acid, was investigated at a mass ratio of 10 mg organic additive/g mine tailings in this study. The effect of pH was also evaluated. The mine tailings sample, containing elevated levels of As (2,180 mg/kg), copper (Cu, 1,100 mg/kg), lead (Pb, 12,860 mg/kg), and zinc (Zn, 5,075 mg/kg), was collected from Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. It was found that the organic additives inhibited As and heavy metal mobilization under acidic conditions (at pH 3 or 5), but enhanced it under neutral to alkaline conditions (at pH above 7) through forming aqueous organic complexes. At pH 11, As, Cu, Pb, and Zn were mobilized mostly by the organic additives, 45, 46, 1,660, and 128 mg/kg by aspartic acid, 31, 28, 1,040, and 112 mg/kg by succinic acid, and 53, 38, 2,020, and 150 mg/kg by cysteine, respectively, whereas those by distilled water were 6, 16, 260, and 52 mg/kg, respectively. It was also found that the mobilization of As and the heavy metals was closely correlated, and both were closely correlated to Fe mobilization. Arsenic mobilization by the three LMWOAs was found to be consistent with the order of the stability of Fe–, Cu–, Pb–, and Zn–organic ligand complexes. The organic acids might be used potentially in the natural attenuation and remediation of As and heavy metal–contaminated sites.     

Geochemical distribution of trace element concentrations in the vicinity of Boroo gold mine,Selenge Province,Mongolia

The environmental impacts of Boroo gold mine project in Mongolia was evaluated by chemical characterization of trace element concentrations in water, soils and tailing dam sediment samples. The results showed that concentrations of B, Cd, Ni and Se in the water samples were within the accepted levels of the Mongolia water quality standard (MNS4586: 1998). However, the concentrations of Al, As, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb, U and Zn were higher than the maximum allowable concentration especially in the monitoring and heap leach wells. The average concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the tailing dam sediment were 4419, 58.5, 56.0, 4.8, 20.6 and 25.7 mg/kg, respectively. Generally, arsenic and heavy metals in the soil samples were within the acceptable concentrations of the soil standard of Mongolia (MNS 5850: 2008). The chemical characterization of As solid phase in tailing dam sediment showed that the majority of As were found in the residual fraction comprising about 74% of total As. Assessing the potential risk to humans, simple bioavailability extraction test was used to estimate bioavailability of arsenic and heavy metals, and the concentrations extracted from tailing dam sediment were; 288.2 mg/kg As, 7.2 mg/kg Cd, 41.1 mg/kg Cu, 13.5 mg/kg Pb, 4.7 mg/kg Ni and 23.5 mg/kg Zn, respectively. From these results, the Boroo gold mine project has presently not significantly impacted the environment, but there is a high probability that it may act as a source of future contamination.     

Contamination by Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in mine wastes from abandoned metal mines classified as mineralization types in Korea

The objective of this study was to investigate heavy metal contamination and geochemical characteristics of mine wastes, including tailings, from 38 abandoned mines classified as five mineralization types. Mine waste materials including tailings and soils were sampled from the mines and the physical and chemical characteristics of the samples were analyzed. The particle size of tailings was in the range of 10–100 μm. The pH of the waste covered a wide range, from 1.73 to 8.11, and was influenced by associated minerals and elevated levels of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, extracted by a Korean Standard Method (digestion with 0.1 mol L⁻¹ HCl), which were found in the wastes. Half of the samples contained heavy metals at levels above those stipulated by the Soil Environmental Conservation Act (SECA) in Korea. In addition, extremely high concentrations of the metals were also found in mine wastes extracted by aqua regia, especially those from mines associated with sulfide minerals. Thus, it can be expected that trace elements in mine wastes may be dispersed both downstream and downslope through water and wind. Eventually they may pose a potential health risk to residents in the vicinity of the mine. It is necessary to control mine wastes by using a proper method for their reclamation, such as neutralization of the mine wastes using a fine-grained limestone.     

Risk assessment for safety of soils and vegetables around a lead/zinc mine

Concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu) were determined in soils and vegetables (chrysanthemum, spinach and four cultivars of Chinese cabbage from the area adjacent to a Pb/Zn mine in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, China, and compared with the Chinese National Standards for Soil Environmental Quality. The accumulation of heavy metals in cabbage cv. Siyuegreen was investigated at different distances from the center of the mine. The vegetable plantation soils were polluted with Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn, especially by Pb and Cd. The levels of Pb and Cd were 20 and 30 times higher than the permitted standards, indicating that this Pb/Zn mining area is unsuitable for agricultural use. Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum and spinach had different enrichment coefficients. The enrichment coefficient of Cd from soil to roots of chrysanthemum was >80% and from roots to leaves of cabbage cv. Shanghaigreen was >120%. These vegetables were polluted by heavy metals and could not be regarded as safe for human consumption. Environmental accumulation of heavy metals in the vegetable plantation soils was proportional to heavy metal accumulation in vegetables and both were inversely proportional to the distance from the lead/zinc mine.     

The role of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans in arsenic bioleaching from soil

Bioleaching of As from the soil in an abandoned Ag–Au mine was carried out using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. A. ferrooxidans is an iron oxidizer and A. thiooxidans is a sulfur oxidizer. These two microbes are acidophilic and chemoautotrophic microbes. Soil samples were collected from the Myoungbong and Songcheon mines. The main contaminant of the soil was As, with an average concentration of 4,624 mg/kg at Myoungbong and 5,590 mg/kg at Songcheon. A. ferrooxidans and A. thiooxidans generated lower pH conditions during their metabolism process. The bioleaching of As from soil has a higher removal efficiency than chemical leaching. A. ferrooxidans could remove 70 % of the As from the Myoungbong and Songcheon soils; however, A. thiooxidans extracted only 40 % of the As from the Myoungbong soil. This study shows that bioleaching is an effective process for As removal from soil.     

Heavy metal accumulation and phytostabilization potential of dominant plant species growing on manganese mine tailings

Screening plants that are hypertolerant to and excluders of certain heavy metals plays a fundamental role in a remediation strategy for metalliferous mine tailings. A field survey of terrestrial higher plants growing on Mn mine tailings at Huayuan, Hunan Province, China was conducted to identify candidate species for application in phytostabilization of the tailings in this region. In total, 51 species belonging to 21 families were recorded and the 12 dominant plants were investigated for their potential in phytostabilization of heavy metals. Eight plant species, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Artemisia princeps, Bidens frondosa, Bidens pilosa, Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria sanguinalis, Erigeron canadensis, and Setaria plicata accumulated much lower concentrations of heavy metals in shoots and roots than the associated soils and bioconcen- tration factors （BFs） for Cd, Mn, Pb and Zn were all 〈 1, demonstrating a high tolerance to heavy metals and poor metals translocation ability. The field investigation also found that these species grew fast, accumulated biomass rapidly and developed a vegetation cover in a relatively short time. Therefore, they are good candidates for phytostabilization purposes and could be used as pioneer species in phytoremediation of Mn mine tailings in this region of South China.     

武汉市郊区设施蔬菜地土壤重金属含量及其生态风险

采用野外调查采样和室内分析相结合的方法,对武汉市郊部分设施蔬菜地土壤5种重金属砷(As)、汞(Hg)、铬(Cr)、镉(Cd)、铅(Pb)的累积现状和潜在生态风险进行了分析评价.结果表明,研究区土壤中As、Hg、Cr、Cd、Pb的平均含量分别为0.06、0.15、19.85、1.07、5.44 mg/kg,其中Cd和Hg的平均含量分别达到湖北省土壤背景值的9.41和2.36倍;设施蔬菜地土壤中不同重金属的单因子污染状况具有Cd>Hg>Cr>Pb>As的特征,就综合污染指数而言,Cd元素是污染发生的主要贡献因子;从多种重金属潜在综合生态风险指数(RI)来看,研究区仅有18.23%的采样点达到中等生态风险,其余样点的潜在生态风险指数在轻微风险水平范围内.图4表3参15     

Relative extraction ratio (RER) for arsenic and heavy metals in soils and tailings from various metal mines,Korea

This study focused on the evaluation of leaching behaviours for arsenic and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soils and tailings contaminated by mining activities. Ten representative mine soils were taken at four representative metal mines in Korea. To evaluate the leaching characteristics of the samples, eight extraction methods were adapted namely 0.1 M HCl, 0.5 M HCl, 1.0 M HCl, 3.0 M HCl, Korean Standard Leaching Procedure for waste materials (KSLP), Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP), Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and aqua regia extraction (AR) methods. In order to compare element concentrations as extraction methods, relative extraction ratios (RERs, %), defined as element concentration extracted by the individual leaching method divided by that extracted by aqua regia based on USEPA method 3050B, were calculated. Although the RER values can vary upon sample types and elements, they increase with increasing ionic strength of each extracting solution. Thus, the RER for arsenic and heavy metals in the samples increased in the order of KSLP < SPLP < TCLP < 0.1 M HCl < 0.5 M HCl < 1.0 M HCl < 3.0 M HCl. In the same extraction method, the RER values for Cd and Zn were relatively higher than those for As, Cu, Ni and Pb. This may be due to differences in geochemical behaviour of each element, namely high solubility of Cd and Zn and low solubility of As, Cu, Ni and Pb in surface environment. Thus, the extraction results can give important information on the degree and extent of arsenic and heavy metal dispersion in the surface environment.     

Assessment of As and Heavy Metal Contamination in the Vicinity of Duckum Au-Ag Mine, Korea

In order to assess the potential of As and heavy metal contamination derived from past mining activity and to estimate the human bioavailability quotients for As and heavy metals. Tailings, soils and crop samples were collected and analysed for As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the tailings were 68.5, 7.8, 99, 3,754 and 733 µg g^–1, respectively. Maximum Pb concentration in tailings was up to 90 times higher than its tolerable level. The concentrations of these metals were highest in the soils from the dressing plant area, and decreased in the order: farmland soil to paddy soil. In particular, some of the soils from the dressing plant area contained more than 1% of Pb and Zn. The pollution index ranged from 0.19 to 1.93 in paddy soils, and from 1.47 to 3.60 in farmland soils. The average concentrations of heavy metals in crops collected from farmland were higher than those in rice stalks or rice grains, and higher than the internationally accepted limits for vegetables. Element concentrations extracted from farmland soils within the simulated human stomach for 1 h are 9.4 mg kg^–1 As, 3.8 mg kg^–1 Cd, 37 mg kg^–1 Cu, 250 mg kg^–1 Pb and 301 mg kg^–1 Zn. In particular, the extracted concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn are in excess of the tolerable levels. The results of the simple bioavailability extraction test (SBET) indicate that regular ingestion (by inhalation and from dirty hands) of soils by the local population could pose a potential health threat due to long-term toxic element exposure.     

Spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments from a typical plateau lake wetland, China

Surface sediment (0-15 cm) samples were collected from 31 different grid points throughout the Yilong Lake in April 2004. Samples were subjected to a total digestion technique and analyzed for As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn in order to study spatial distribution characteristics based on Kriging method and assess their ecological risks posed by these heavy metals. Results showed that the mean concentrations of these heavy metals were lower than potential effect levels. Patches of higher heavy metal concentrations occurred in the inflow area of the Cheng River and northeast area nearby the road and railway. The higher concentrations of As and Cr also appeared in the east area (lake outlet), while the patches of lower concentrations were uniformly distributed at the southwest corner between Luosewan and Xiaoguoxi. The heavy metal loads such as As, Cd and Pb might come from the common sources due to industrial sewage and traffic pollution, while higher concentrations of Ni, Cr, and Zn in these sediments were dominated by parent rocks. However, Cu originated from both sources. Sediments with respect to As, Cd and Cu were grouped below the effect range low (ERL) at all sites, and with respect to Cr and Pb were grouped into the range from ERL to the effect range median (ERM) at more than 50% of sampling sites. The mean heavy metal toxic units in the Yilong Lake decreased following the order Pb > Cr > As > Ni > Zn > Cd > Cu, with higher contributions to the sum of toxic units of Pb, Cr and As.     

Heavy metal concentration in water,sediment, and tissues of fish species (Heteropneustis fossilis and Puntius ticto) from Kali River,India

The river Kali has been one of the major recipients of industrial effluents in the Muzaffarnagar district of western Uttar Pradesh. The present studies revealed the occurrence and bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Mn) in riverine water, sediment, and muscles of two fish species, Heteropneustis fossilis and Puntius ticto. Data showed that the order of occurrence of heavy metals was Pb > Zn > Mn > Cr > Cd in river water, Mn > Zn > Pb > Cr > Cd in sediment, Zn > Mn > Cr > Cd > Pb in Puntius ticto and Cr > Zn > Mn > Cd > Pb in Heteropneustis fossilis. Results indicate that the concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn in river water, Pb, Zn, and Mn in sediment, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn concentration in muscles of Puntius ticto and Cr, Pb, and Zn concentration in in muscles of Heteropneustis fossilis are higher than the permissible standard limits. The presence of heavy metals contributed to toxicity in different organs of fish in River Kali. The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in different biotic organisms in river ecosystem may have adverse consequences on humans and livestock.     

Determination of trace metal concentrations in soil profiles of municipal waste dumps in Nigeria

The concentrations of trace metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn and Co) were studied in soil profiles of eight municipal waste dump sites in Warri metropolis. The results indicate that concentrations of trace metals varied widely among the different dumpsites and decreased with depths in a studied soil profile. The accumulation pattern for the heavy metals in the soil profiles follows the order: Fe > Pb > Mn > Co > Cr > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cd. The concentrations of metals found in these sites was below the Canadian remediation criteria for land for agricultural, residential and commercial/industrial purposes except for the cadmium levels in some sites that exceeded criterion values for agricultural and residential. In such sites, remedial actions are required before any form of chosen development can take place. The levels of heavy metals found in these dump sites were higher than that of the control site. The examined metals showed no significant correlation with soil physicochemical properties at the surface horizon, which is suggestive evidence that these metals arise from anthropogenic input.     

不同来源重金属污染的土壤对水稻的影响

采用人工污染土壤、尾矿砂、污泥等不同载体的污染源来模拟土壤污染 ,研究其对水稻生长、吸收养分和吸收重金属的影响。结果表明 ,不同污染载体对水稻生长的影响不同 ,其影响的大小顺序为人工污染土壤 >尾矿砂 >污泥 >尾矿砂 +污泥。不同污染载体对水稻吸收重金属的影响亦不同 ,以纯化学试剂的形式添加到土壤中的重金属最易被提取出来 ,植物从中吸收的Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd最多 ,而从以污泥为污染载体的土壤中吸收的Zn、Pb、Cd最少。研究表明 ,用添加纯化学试剂的方法来模拟污染土壤对生态与环境的影响是可行的 ,确定土壤负载容量是安全的 ,因为在实验条件下它对供试植物的影响最明显     

4种草对铅锌尾矿污染土壤重金属的抗性与吸收特性

盆栽试验的结果表明,高羊毛、早熟禾、黑麦草、紫花苜蓿在纯尾矿污染土壤或经处理的尾矿污染土壤上都能生长,但在处理的土壤上生长的植物长势明显优于对照,其中紫花苜蓿的生物量所受影响比其他几种草坪草更大,说明其重金属抗性低于其他几种植物。单位面积上 4 种植物体内重金属质量分数高低均为 w(Zn)>w(Pb)>w(Cu)>w(Cd),但每种植物对 Cd、Pb、Zn 和 Cu 的吸收质量分数和分布均不相同,一般为根系质量分数大于茎叶。加入改良剂(CaCO3)和有机肥(菜枯)使生长在铅锌尾矿污染土壤上的 4 种草坪草生物量显著增加,植物体中的 Cd、Pb、Zn 质量分数下降,但 Cu 质量分数反而上升,结果单位面积上草坪草吸收各重金属元素的量均有所增加,可见利用改良措施与草坪草相结合的方法来修复重金属污染土壤具有可行性。