Environmental capacity simulation and source analysis of toxic metals in soils of Wucaiwan mining area, Xinjiang, China

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences Vol. 83; no. 21; p. 614
• Main Authors: Yang, Dejun, Wang, Minyue, Gao, Xiang, Zhu, Huawei, Zhang, Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.11.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biogeosciences; Cadmium; Cadmium content; Carbon content; China; Chromium; Coal; Coal combustion; Coal mining; combustion; Copper; Correlation; Data mining; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Environmental Science and Engineering; Geochemistry; Geology; Heavy metals; Hydrology/Water Resources; Lead; Metals; Nickel; Organic carbon; Original Article; pollution; principal component analysis; Principal components analysis; Soil; Soil analysis; soil parent materials; Soil pollution; temporal variation; Terrestrial Pollution; toxicity; China; Mining area; Toxic metal; Soil pollution; Correlation analysis; Environmental capacity; Source analysis
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-024-11926-2
• ISSN: 1866-6280

The problem of toxic metal pollution in the soil of mining areas accompanied by coal mining cannot be ignored. Taking the mining area of Wucaiwan in Xinjiang as the research subject, the content characteristics of soil toxic metals were sampled and analyzed. We calculated the rotation factor loading coefficients and further performed principal component analysis to resolve the sources of toxic toxic metals. We analyze the individual environmental capacity index and integrated environmental capacity index to reflect the environmental capacity level. The temporal change trend of soil environmental capacity was studied, and the correlation between environmental capacity, pH and organic carbon was explored. The results showed that (1) the average value of Cd content in the soil of the study area exceeded the background value, and the size of the total environmental capacity was ranked as Cr > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cd; (2) the size of the average individual environmental capacity index was ranked as Cu (1.15) > Cr (1.10) > Ni (1.04) > Pb (1.03) > Cd (0.96), and the comprehensive environmental capacity index was 1.06 (3) the cumulative contribution of the first three main components of soil toxic metals reached 91.55%, and the presumed sources were soil parent material, coal combustion and dustfall, respectively; (4) the correlation between the existing capacities of different toxic metals was strong, and the existing capacity of Pb was highly significantly and positively correlated with the organic carbon content. Highlights Toxic metal pollution status in the soil of Wucaiwan. Cd accumulates in the soil. Total environmental capacity: Cr > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cd. Average individual environmental capacity index: Cu (1.15) > Cr (1.10) > Ni (1.04) > Pb (1.03) > Cd (0.96).