Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (5): 944-956.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.05.16

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles    

Distribution characteristics and sources of heavy metals in soil around Wucaiwan mining area in Zhundong

YANG Yanyan(), CHEN Xing, WANG Ze(), KE Yihao, LI Qinglin, HAO Xiangxue, WANG Ruoxin, SUN Can   

  1. College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2024-12-10 Revised:2025-02-09 Online:2025-05-15 Published:2025-10-22
  • Contact: WANG Ze E-mail:yangyy@xjau.edu.cn;wz@xjau.edu.cn

Abstract:

This study focuses on the surface soils around the Wucaiwan mining Area in Zhundong, Xinjiang, Chian. By integrating multiple methods, including Kriging interpolation, the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index method, the potential ecological risk index method, and the Positive Matrix Factorization model, the spatial distribution, pollution levels, ecological risks, and sources of seven heavy metals (Hg, Cr, As, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd) in the study area were systematically analyzed. The results indicate that the pollution levels of the heavy metals, in descending order, are Hg>Cr>As>Pb>Cu>Zn>Cd. Notably, 100% of the sampling points for Hg, As, 98% for Cr, and 86% for Pb exceed the regional soil background values of Xinjiang, highlighting significant potential pollution risks. Source apportionment reveals that the primary sources of heavy metals in the surface soil of the study area are industrial emissions (23.3%), traffic emissions (14.6%), combustion sources (19.0%), natural sources (19.9%), and atmospheric deposition (23.2%). These findings provide a robust scientific basis and significant guidance for the remediation and management of heavy metal-contaminated soils in coal mining areas of Xinjiang.

Key words: heavy metals, distribution characteristics, ecological risk, source apportionment, Wucaiwan mining area