Distribution of vanadium in the pedosphere of China and its natural and anthropogenic influencing factors

Abstract

Vanadium (V) is a strategic element in high demand in the industrial and pharmaceutical sectors. However, anthropogenic activities, including mineral exploration and industrial emissions, increase the risk of V contamination in soils. Consequently, research on V in the fields of mineral exploration and environmental pollution has garnered increasing attention. The China Geochemical Baseline (CGB) Project has conducted the first comprehensive collection and analysis of 12,201 rock samples, 3,382 top soil samples, and 3,380 deep soil samples in mainland China and the data was analysed in this study. High V concentrations occurred in soils in southern and northern China, and that V concentration were scattered in northern China. The concentration of V in soils was influenced by several natural factors, including tectonic activity, the distribution of intermediate–basic rocks (especially basalts) and black rock series; the distribution of laterites, and the occurrence of V deposits. Additionally, certain regions with high V concentrations were impacted by anthropogenic factors, primarily mining and smelting. This study, utilizing fundamental comparative data offered by the CGB Project, presents a comprehensive investigation of the spatial distribution characteristics of V, its migration, and enrichment mechanisms on a regional scale and also provides essential geochemical information on the detailed distribution of V in the pedosphere and rocks of mainland China.