School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 6;19(15):9698. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159698.
Pb-Zn smelting is a major cause of heavy metal(loid) contaminations in soils. We collected data on heavy metal(loid)s in the soils near Pb-Zn smelteries globally from 54 peer-reviewed reports to study the metals' distribution, pollution index, and potential ecological and health risks. We observed that 90% of the studied Pb-Zn smelteries were distributed in Asia and Europe. Heavy metal(loid)s were mainly deposited within a 2 km distance to the smelteries, with mean concentrations (mg/kg) of 208.3 for As, 26.6 for Cd, 191.8 for Cu, 4192.6 for Pb, and 4187.7 for Zn, respectively. Cd and Pb concentrations in the soil exceeded their corresponding upper continental crust values several hundred folds, suggesting severe contamination. The smelting area had the highest heavy metal(loid) contamination in soil, followed by the forest land, farmland, and living area. Compared with the soil environmental standard values from various countries, As, Cd, Pb, and Zn were considered priority pollutants for protecting the ecosystem and human health. Likewise, As, Cd, and Pb were suggested as the priority pollutants for protecting groundwater safety. The potential ecological and health risks of heavy metal(loid)s in the soil within 2 km of Pb-Zn smelteries were severe and should be of concern.
铅锌冶炼是土壤重金属(类)污染的主要原因。我们从 54 篇同行评议报告中收集了全球范围内铅锌冶炼厂附近土壤中重金属(类)的数据,以研究这些金属的分布、污染指数以及潜在的生态和健康风险。我们观察到,90%的研究中的铅锌冶炼厂分布在亚洲和欧洲。重金属(类)主要沉积在距离冶炼厂 2 公里范围内,其平均浓度(mg/kg)分别为:As 为 208.3,Cd 为 26.6,Cu 为 191.8,Pb 为 4192.6,Zn 为 4187.7。土壤中 Cd 和 Pb 的浓度超过了相应的大陆地壳值数百倍,表明存在严重的污染。冶炼区土壤中重金属(类)污染最严重,其次是林地、农田和生活区。与各国的土壤环境标准值相比,As、Cd、Pb 和 Zn 被认为是保护生态系统和人类健康的优先污染物。同样,As、Cd 和 Pb 被建议作为保护地下水安全的优先污染物。距离铅锌冶炼厂 2 公里范围内土壤中重金属(类)的潜在生态和健康风险严重,应引起关注。