Impacts of lead/zinc mining and smelting on the environment and human health in China

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 184; no. 4; pp. 2261 - 2273
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xiuwu, Yang, Linsheng, Li, Yonghua, Li, Hairong, Wang, Wuyi, Ye, Bixiong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.04.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: analysis; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; blood; Cadmium; chemistry; children; China; crops; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental health; Environmental impact; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Exploitation; Health; Heavy metals; Human; Human exposure; human health; Humans; Immune system; Lead; Lead - analysis; Lead content; Metallurgy; Mineral processing; Mineral resources; Mining; Mining industry; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; osteomalacia; Pollutants; Pollution; Provinces; Sediments; Smelting; soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil Pollutants; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Studies; urine; vegetables; Water; Water - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Water resources; Zinc; Zinc - analysis; China; China, People's Rep., Liaoning Prov; China, People's Rep., Guangxi Prov; China, People's Rep., Hunan Prov; Impact; Environment; Human health; Lead/zinc mineral exploitation; China
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2115-6

Mining and smelting are important economic activities. However, mining-related industries are also some of the largest sources of environmental pollution from heavy metals. China is one of the largest producers and consumers of lead and zinc in the world. A large amount of lead, zinc, and related elements, such as cadmium, have been released into the environment due to mineral processing activities and have impacted water resources, soils, vegetables, and crops. In some areas, this pollution is hazardous to human health. This article reviews studies published in the past 10 years (2000–2009), on the environmental and human health consequences of lead/zinc mineral exploitation in China. Polluted areas are concentrated in the following areas: the junction of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, west-central Hunan province, central Guangxi province, northern Guangdong, northwestern Henan province, the border between Shanxi and Gansu provinces, and the region of Liaoning province near Bohai. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are the main pollutants and are associated with human health effects such as high lead blood levels in children, arthralgia, osteomalacia, and excessive cadmium in urine.