Potentially toxic metal(loid) distribution and migration in the bottom weathering profile of indigenous zinc smelting slag pile in clastic rock region

Yishu Peng; Ruidong Yang; Tao Jin; Jun Chen; Jian Zhang

doi:10.7717/peerj.10825

Potentially toxic metal(loid) distribution and migration in the bottom weathering profile of indigenous zinc smelting slag pile in clastic rock region

PeerJ. 2021 Apr 7:9:e10825. doi: 10.7717/peerj.10825. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yishu Peng¹, Ruidong Yang², Tao Jin³, Jun Chen⁴, Jian Zhang⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Tea Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.
² College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.
³ Institute of Mountain Resources of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China.
⁵ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: There are contaminated by potentially toxic metal(loid)s (PTMs) that the surface soil and the weathering profiles around the indigenous zinc smelting slag piles or smelters in the smelting area. However, few systematic studies are currently focusing on the PTM distribution and migration among the slag and its bottom weathering profile.

Methods: This research determined the concentrations of PTMs and pH values. And we analyzed PTM distribution in the two weathering profiles (slag-covered and slag-absent) with a small horizontal distance in the clastic rock region in the smelting area.

Results: The soil As and Pb contents, respectively, within the 30 and 50 cm depth in the slag-covered section were higher than those in the slag-absent profile. All soil Cd and Zn contents of the slag-covered core were significantly higher than those in the slag-absent weathering section.

Conclusions: Compared with the slag-absent weathering section, some PTMs (i.e., As, Cd, Pb and Zn) in the bottom weathering profile were polluted by these elements in the covered slag in the clastic rock region, and their depths were influenced by the slag to varying degrees. Additionally, with time, some PTMs (especially Cd and Zn) of the slag might finally contaminate the groundwater by leaching and infiltration through its bottom weathering profile in the clastic rock region.

Keywords: Clastic rock region; Indigenous zinc smelting slag; Migration; Potentially toxic metal(loid); Weathering profile.

Grants and funding

This project was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41463009), the Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Foundation (QKHJC-ZK[2021]YB232), the Public and Basic Geological Project of Guizhou Province (No. QGTZF-2015-20), the Scientific Research Project for Introducing Talents into Guizhou University (GDRJHZ[2019]05), the Foundation for Innovative Major Research Groups of the Education Bureau in Guizhou Province (QJH-KY-2016-024) and the Construction Project of the First-Class Subjects “Ecology” in Guizhou Province (GNYL[2017]007). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.