Dataset Information

Distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in tailings, soils, and plants around Gol-E-Gohar iron mine, a case study in Iran.

ABSTRACT: This study investigated the concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) including Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn in 102 soils (in the Near and Far areas of the mine), 7 tailings, and 60 plant samples (shoots and roots of Artemisia sieberi and Zygophylum species) collected at the Gol-E-Gohar iron ore mine in Iran. The elemental concentrations in tailings and soil samples (in Near and Far areas) varied between 7.4 and 35.8 mg kg-1 for As (with a mean of 25.39 mg kg-1 for tailings), 7.9 and 261.5 mg kg-1 (mean 189.83 mg kg-1 for tailings) for Co, 17.7 and 885.03 mg kg-1 (mean 472.77 mg kg-1 for tailings) for Cu, 12,500 and 400,000 mg kg-1 (mean 120,642.86 mg kg-1 for tailings) for Fe, and 28.1 and 278.1 mg kg-1 (mean 150.29 mg kg-1 for tailings) for Ni. A number of physicochemical parameters and pollution index for soils were determined around the mine. Sequential extractions of tailings and soil samples indicated that Fe, Cr, and Co were the least mobile and that Mn, Zn, Cu, and As were potentially available for plants uptake. Similar to soil, the concentration of Al, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, and Zn in plant samples decreased with the distance from the mining/processing areas. Data on plants showed that metal concentrations in shoots usually exceeded those in roots and varied significantly between the two investigated species (Artemisia sieberi > Zygophylum). All the reported results suggest that the soil and plants near the iron ore mine are contaminated with PTEs and that they can be potentially dispersed in the environment via aerosol transport and deposition.

SUBMITTER: Soltani N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5711535 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in tailings, soils, and plants around Gol-E-Gohar iron mine, a case study in Iran.

Soltani Naghmeh N Keshavarzi Behnam B Moore Farid F Sorooshian Armin A Ahmadi Mohamad Reza MR

Environmental science and pollution research international 20170615 23

This study investigated the concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) including Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn in 102 soils (in the Near and Far areas of the mine), 7 tailings, and 60 plant samples (shoots and roots of Artemisia sieberi and Zygophylum species) collected at the Gol-E-Gohar iron ore mine in Iran. The elemental concentrations in tailings and soil samples (in Near and Far areas) varied between 7.4 and 35.8 mg kg<sup>-1</sup> for As (with a mea ...[more]

PMID: 28620857

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Project description:To investigate the leaching characteristics and potential environmental effects of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) from alum mine tailings in Lujiang, Anhui Province, soaking tests and simulated rainfall leaching experiments were conducted for two types of slag. PTMs comprising Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Ni were detected in the slag. Cu and Cd contents exceeded the national soil risk screening values (GB 15618-2018). pH values of the two slag soaking solutions were negatively correlated with the solid:liquid ratio. pH values of the sintered slag soaking solutions with different solid:liquid ratios finally stabilized between 4.4 and 4.59, and those of the waste slag soaking solutions finally stabilized between 2.7 and 3.4. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Ni leached from waste slag were higher than those from sintered slag, and the dissolved concentrations of these PTMs in sintered slag were higher under rainfall leaching conditions than soaking conditions (the difference in Cr concentration was the smallest, 5.6%). The cumulative release of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Ni increased as the leaching liquid volume increased. The kinetic characteristics of the cumulative release of the five PTMs were best fitted by a double constant equation (R2 > 0.98 for all fits). Single factor index evaluations showed that Mn and Ni were the PTMs with high pollution degrees (Pi for Mn and Ni exceed 1) in the leaching solutions. However, considering the biotoxicity of PTMs, the water quality index evaluations showed that the water quality of the sintered slag soaking solution, the waste slag soaking solution, and the sintered slag leachate was good, poor, and undrinkable, respectively. The health risk assessment showed that the total non-carcinogenic risk (HI) values in adults for both the sintered slag leachate and waste slag soaking solution exceeded the safe level of 1, with HI values of 3.965 and 2.342, respectively. The hazard quotient (HQ) for Cd was 1.994 for the sintered slag leachate, and Cd and Cr make up 50.29% and 15.93% of the total risk, respectively. Cr makes up 28.38% of the total risk for the waste slag soaking solution. These results indicate a high non-carcinogenic risk of exposure to Cd and Cr in the leaching solution used for drinking purposes. These findings may provide a reference for the evaluation and ecological control of PTM pollution in alum mining areas.

Project description:Toxic metalliferous mine-tailings pose a significant health risk to ecosystems and neighboring communities from wind and water dispersion of particulates containing high concentrations of toxic metal(loid)s (e.g., Pb, As, Zn). Tailings are particularly vulnerable to erosion before vegetative cover can be reestablished, i.e., decades or longer in semi-arid environments without intervention. Metal(loid) speciation, linked directly to bioaccessibility and lability, is controlled by mineral weathering and is a key consideration when assessing human and environmental health risks associated with mine sites. At the semi-arid Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund site in central Arizona, the mineral assemblage of the top 2 m of tailings has been previously characterized. A distinct redox gradient was observed in the top 0.5 m of the tailings and the mineral assemblage indicates progressive transformation of ferrous iron sulfides to ferrihydrite and gypsum, which, in turn weather to form schwertmannite and then jarosite accompanied by a progressive decrease in pH (7.3 to 2.3). Within the geochemical context of this reaction front, we examined enriched toxic metal(loid)s As, Pb, and Zn with surficial concentrations 41.1, 10.7, 39.3 mM kg-1 (3080, 2200, and 2570 mg kg-1), respectively. The highest bulk concentrations of As and Zn occur at the redox boundary representing a 1.7 and 4.2 fold enrichment relative to surficial concentrations, respectively, indicating the translocation of toxic elements from the gossan zone to either the underlying redox boundary or the surface crust. Metal speciation was also examined as a function of depth using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The deepest sample (180 cm) contains sulfides (e.g., pyrite, arsenopyrite, galena, and sphalerite). Samples from the redox transition zone (25-54 cm) contain a mixture of sulfides, carbonates (siderite, ankerite, cerrusite, and smithsonite) and metal(loid)s sorbed to neoformed secondary Fe phases, principally ferrihydrite. In surface samples (0-35 cm), metal(loid)s are found as sorbed species or incorporated into secondary Fe hydroxysulfate phases, such as schwertmannite and jarosites. Metal-bearing efflorescent salts (e.g., ZnSO4·nH2O) were detected in the surficial sample. Taken together, these data suggest the bioaccessibility and lability of metal(loid)s are altered by mineral weathering, which results in both the downward migration of metal(loid)s to the redox boundary, as well as the precipitation of metal salts at the surface.

Dataset Information

Distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in tailings, soils, and plants around Gol-E-Gohar iron mine, a case study in Iran.

Publications

Distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in tailings, soils, and plants around Gol-E-Gohar iron mine, a case study in Iran.

Similar Datasets

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