Heavy Metal Contamination Assessment and Partition for Industrial and Mining Gathering Areas

Abstract

Industrial and mining activities have been recognized as the major sources of soil heavy metal contamination. This study introduced an improved Nemerow index method based on the Nemerow and geo-accumulation index. Taking a typical industrial and mining gathering area in Tianjin (China) as example, this study then analyzed the contamination sources as well as the ecological and integrated risks. The spatial distribution of the contamination level and ecological risk were determined using Geographic Information Systems. The results are as follows: (1) Zinc showed the highest contaminant level in the study area; the contamination levels of the other seven heavy metals assessed were relatively lower. (2) The combustion of fossil fuels and emissions from industrial and mining activities were the main sources of contamination in the study area. (3) The overall contamination level of heavy metals in the study area ranged from heavily contaminated to extremely contaminated and showed an uneven distribution. (4) The potential ecological risk showed an uneven distribution, and the overall ecological risk level ranged from low to moderate. This study also emphasized the importance of partition in industrial and mining areas, the extensive application of spatial analysis methods, and the consideration of human health risks in future studies.

Enzyme activity and morphological change in the spleens of crucian carp in the Yongcheng coal mine subsidence area, China

“…Heavy metals from mining effluents have a severe impact on the health and ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems (Schmitt et al, 2007), and has thus become a major concern of the public and scientific community (Vutukuru, 2005;Guan et al, 2014). Aquatic organisms respond to changes in their environment, and the responses in turn reflect the prevailing health status of the aquatic ecosystem (Qadir et al, 2008;Qadir and Malik, 2011).…”

Geo-accumulation Index, Enrichment Factor and Quantification of Contamination of Heavy Metals in Soil Receiving Cassava Mill Effluents in A Rural Community in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

“…Note: Geo-accumulation index is by Muller (1969) have been widely applied by Ghaleno et al (2015), Bhutiani et al (2017), Todorova et al (2016), Improved Nemerow Index is by Forstner et al (1990) and have been applied by Guan et al (2014); while Enrichment factor is by Sutherland (2000) and have been applied by Bhutiani et al (2017) 1.3.1 Quantification of contamination or anthropogenic metals Quantification of contamination (QoC) represents the lithogenic metal (Asaah et al 2006;Bhutiani et al, 2017) and was calculated by the formula presented by Bhutiani et al (2017).…”

“…According to Guan et al (2014), geo-accumulation index is suitable for assessing heavy metals in soil contaminated by industrial activities. Geo-accumulation index by Muller (1969) and have been applied by El-Metwally et al (2017), Bhutiani et al (2017), Ghaleno et al (2015), Todorova et al (2016), Tang et al (2014) Wang et al (2016, Hassaan et al (2016), Vowotor et al (2014), Ghazaryan et al (2015), Guan et al (2014), Gasiorek et al (2017), Kowalska et al (2016).…”

“…It was improved by replacing the single factor index in geo-accumulation index (Guan et al, 2014). INI is calculated based on the formula previously described by Guan et al (2014).…”

“…Furthermore, Abrahim and Parkers (2008) also reported that low level of contamination in some of the heavy metals could be due to background consideration value and lithological value of 1.5 in the Igeo equation. According to Guan et al (2014), the 1.5 constant is used to compensate for the natural fluctuations of a given metal and for minor human impacts in the environment under investigation. Index of geo-accumulation approach focused on the comparative evaluation of the heavy metals in the study area (Fu et al, 2014;Todorova et al, 2016).…”