Multi-technological integration in a smelting site: Visualizing pollution characteristics and migration pattern

Lu Tang; Wenwan Chen; Xinghua Luo; Gubin Zhang; Xiang Feng; Lin Guo; Wenyan Gao; Jin He; Guizhang Zhao; Jun Jiang; Shengguo Xue

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132135

Multi-technological integration in a smelting site: Visualizing pollution characteristics and migration pattern

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Oct 5:459:132135. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132135. Epub 2023 Jul 23.

Authors

Lu Tang¹, Wenwan Chen¹, Xinghua Luo¹, Gubin Zhang², Xiang Feng², Lin Guo², Wenyan Gao¹, Jin He¹, Guizhang Zhao³, Jun Jiang¹, Shengguo Xue⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, PR China.
² Henan Academy of Geology, Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.
³ College of Geosciences and Engineering, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450045, PR China.
⁴ School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, PR China. Electronic address: sgxue@csu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37506644
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132135

Abstract

Heavy metal(loid)s pollution of industrial legacies has become a severe environmental issue worldwide. Linking soil pollution to groundwater contaminant plumes would make invisible pollution features visible across the site, but related studies are lacking and require the convergence of multiple technologies. This study uniformly managed the soil and groundwater data in a 3D visualization model to pellucidly assess the spatial distribution of critical contaminants beyond simple drilling information. The distribution of Pb, Zn, As, and Cd in soil-groundwater system has a strong correlation to historical production, substance type, soil property, and groundwater flow direction. Over 2600 measurements of High-density electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data were used to guarantee the exactness of soil structures. Hydraulic conductivity showed a strongest correlation (R² = 0.86), yielding a calibrated model to reveal the anisotropic and contaminant transport in the region, with the consequent minimize the drilling tests. This study provides a template for the description of a verifiable scenario of hydrogeological conditions and pollution characteristics at smelting sites, coupled with traditional exploration and non-invasive techniques. The findings highlight the significance of visualizing the internal state of the soil-groundwater system under consideration, thus providing a basis for targeted control measures against site contamination.

Keywords: Contaminated site; Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT); Heavy metal(loid)s; Hydraulic conductivity; Soil-groundwater.