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Geoscience ›› 2023, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (03): 790-800.DOI: 10.19657/j.geoscience.1000-8527.2023.041

• Experimental, Applied and Environmental Geochemistry • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Source Analysis and Spatial Distribution of Heavy Metals in Soil from Typical Open-pit Coal Mines in the Gobi Desert, Xinjiang

DUGUER Weiwei(), SHI Haitao(), XING Hao, LOU Xuecong, HU Hongli, BULONG Bate   

  1. Urumqi Comprehensive Survey Center on Natural Resources, China Geological Survey, Urumqi,Xinjiang 830026, China
  • Received:2022-09-15 Revised:2023-04-19 Online:2023-06-10 Published:2023-07-20

Abstract:

Identifying the sources and spatial distribution characteristics of heavy metals in soil of typical opencast coal mines in Gobi desert is crucial in accurately judging and formulating soil pollution control programs. However, systematic research is still weak inadequate. In this study, 266 soil samples were systematically collected around typical coal mines in the Xinjiang Gobi Desert. Soil As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn contents and pH values were measured. By using descriptive statistical, correlation, cluster and principal component analyses and other multivariate geostatistical analysis methods,the soil heavy metal compositions were analyzed and the heavy metal source preliminarily identified. We used the absolute principal components-multiple linear regression receptor model(APCS-MLR) and inverse distance weighting method to quantify the contribution rate of each pollution source and the heavy metal spatial distribution patterns. The results show that:(1) The average soil pH is 8.31 in the study area, the contents of nine elements were lower than the threshold for agricultural and construction land, and also below the soil heavy metal background in Xinjiang. From the functional partitions, only the As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb contents in the waste sewage discharge area are higher than the Xinjiang background; Cr,Ni, Zn, Co, Cu, As and Cd have moderate or high correlations, Cd and Pb have moderate correlations, and Hg has weak correlations with the other eight elements. (2)Cr, Ni, Zn, Co, Cu, As and Cd have moderate or high correlations, Cd and Pb have moderate correlations, and Hg has weak correlations with the other eight elements.(3)The cluster analysis results divide the soil heavy metals into three categories: Cr-Ni-Zn-Co-Cu-As, Cd-Pb, and Hg. (4) Source analysis results show that the main heavy metal sources of local soil are parent material (50.902%), waste water and coal dust (31.507%).

Key words: heavy metals in soil, receptor-oriented model, source analysis, spatial distribution, Gobi Desert

CLC Number: