Integrated source apportionment and risk assessment prioritizes heavy metal control at an abandoned antimony smelter.

IF 3.8 3区环境科学与生态学 Q3 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Environmental Geochemistry and Health Pub Date : 2025-09-15 DOI:10.1007/s10653-025-02754-9

Xiao-Hong Ma, Zhuan-Ling Shao, Yu-Han Wang, Wei-Di Tu, Li-Bang Ma, Jiao Wang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Mining and smelting constitute primary anthropogenic sources of persistent heavy metal (HM) contamination in soils, posing severe ecological and health threats globally. Conventional risk assessment often fails to discriminate between natural weathering inputs and anthropogenic emissions while struggling to prioritize pollution sources by risk severity, hindering targeted remediation. This study overcomes these limitations by integrating positive matrix factorization (PMF) source apportionment with ecological risk assessment (ERA) and health risk assessment (HRA) frameworks to quantify source-specific risks. Applied to soils surrounding an abandoned antimony smelter in Gansu Province, HM concentrations (excluding Cr and Ni) exceeded background levels, with Sb reaching 935.28 mg/kg. Extreme pollution by Sb and Cd was observed, while 95% of samples showed moderate to heavy contamination levels. PMF identified four primary pollution sources: industrial activities (27.82%), mining (30.43%), natural sources (21.11%), and transportation (20.64%). ERA indicated extreme ecological risks attributable primarily to Sb, Cd, and Hg, with substantial contributions from industrial (50.11%) and mining (31.83%) origins. HRA revealed unacceptable non-carcinogenic (24.90 for children, 4.06 for adults) and carcinogenic risks (1.83 × 10^-4 for children, 1.11 × 10^-4 for adults). Ingestion served as the predominant exposure pathway, primarily from Sb and As for non-carcinogenic risks and carcinogenic risks, respectively. Integrated risk apportionment demonstrated dominant non-carcinogenic risk contributions from mining (53.33%) and industrial (43.62%) activities primarily via Sb, while industrial (36.60%) and natural (35.81%) sources were major carcinogenic risk contributors with Ni and Cd as the key contaminant. This quantitative source-risk linkage provides a science-based foundation for prioritising control measures and enabling safe reclamation of polluted industrial sites.

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综合来源分配和风险评估是废弃锑冶炼厂重金属控制的重点。

采矿和冶炼是土壤中持久性重金属污染的主要人为来源，在全球范围内构成严重的生态和健康威胁。传统的风险评估往往无法区分自然风化和人为排放，同时难以根据风险严重程度确定污染源的优先次序，从而阻碍了有针对性的补救措施。本研究通过将正矩阵分解（PMF）源分配与生态风险评估（ERA）和健康风险评估（HRA）框架相结合来量化特定源风险，从而克服了这些局限性。在甘肃省某废弃锑冶炼厂周围土壤中，HM（不包括Cr和Ni）浓度超过本底水平，其中Sb达到935.28 mg/kg。砷和镉污染严重，95%的样品显示中度至重度污染。PMF确定了四个主要污染源：工业活动（27.82%）、采矿（30.43%）、自然来源（21.11%）和运输（20.64%）。ERA显示，极端生态风险主要由锑、镉和汞造成，工业（50.11%）和矿业（31.83%）贡献较大。HRA显示不可接受的非致癌风险（儿童为24.90，成人为4.06）和致癌风险（儿童为1.83 × 10-4，成人为1.11 × 10-4）。摄入是主要的暴露途径，主要来自Sb和as，分别具有非致癌风险和致癌风险。综合风险分配表明，主要通过Sb的非致癌风险贡献来自采矿（53.33%）和工业（43.62%）活动，而工业（36.60%）和自然（35.81%）来源是主要的致癌风险贡献者，Ni和Cd是主要污染物。这种定量的源-风险联系为确定控制措施的优先次序和实现污染工业场地的安全回收提供了科学的基础。

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来源期刊

Environmental Geochemistry and Health 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

4.80%

发文量

279

审稿时长

4.2 months

期刊介绍： Environmental Geochemistry and Health publishes original research papers and review papers across the broad field of environmental geochemistry. Environmental geochemistry and health establishes and explains links between the natural or disturbed chemical composition of the earth’s surface and the health of plants, animals and people. Beneficial elements regulate or promote enzymatic and hormonal activity whereas other elements may be toxic. Bedrock geochemistry controls the composition of soil and hence that of water and vegetation. Environmental issues, such as pollution, arising from the extraction and use of mineral resources, are discussed. The effects of contaminants introduced into the earth’s geochemical systems are examined. Geochemical surveys of soil, water and plants show how major and trace elements are distributed geographically. Associated epidemiological studies reveal the possibility of causal links between the natural or disturbed geochemical environment and disease. Experimental research illuminates the nature or consequences of natural or disturbed geochemical processes. The journal particularly welcomes novel research linking environmental geochemistry and health issues on such topics as: heavy metals (including mercury), persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and mixed chemicals emitted through human activities, such as uncontrolled recycling of electronic-waste; waste recycling; surface-atmospheric interaction processes (natural and anthropogenic emissions, vertical transport, deposition, and physical-chemical interaction) of gases and aerosols; phytoremediation/restoration of contaminated sites; food contamination and safety; environmental effects of medicines; effects and toxicity of mixed pollutants; speciation of heavy metals/metalloids; effects of mining; disturbed geochemistry from human behavior, natural or man-made hazards; particle and nanoparticle toxicology; risk and the vulnerability of populations, etc.