Yan Yuting, Zhang Yunhui, Xie Zhan, Wu Xiangchuan, Tu Chunlin, Chen Qingsong, Tao Lanchu
Yibin Research Institute, Southwest Jiaotong University, Yibin 644000, China.
Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China.
Toxics. 2024 Sep 15;12(9):673. doi: 10.3390/toxics12090673.
Contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) frequently occurs in surface water in coal mining areas. This study analyzed 34 surface water samples collected from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau for their hydrochemical characteristics, spatial distribution, source apportionment, and human health risks. Our statistical analysis showed that the average concentrations of PTEs in the surface water ranked as follows: Fe > Al > Zn > Mn > Ba > B> Ni > Li > Cd > Mo > Cu > Co > Hg > Se > As > Pb > Sb. The spatial analysis revealed that samples with high concentrations of Fe, Al, and Mn were predominantly distributed in the main stream, Xichong River, and Yangchang River. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) identified four sources of PTEs in the surface water. Hg, As, and Se originated from wastewater discharged by coal preparation plants and coal mines. Mo, Li, and B originated from the dissolution of clay minerals in coal seams. Elevated concentrations of Cu, Fe, Al, Mn, Co, and Ni were attributed to the dissolution of kaolinite, illite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and minerals associated with Co and Ni in coal seams. Cd, Zn, and Pb were derived from coal melting and traffic release. The deterministic health risks assessment showed that 94.12% of the surface water samples presented non-carcinogenic risks below the health limit of 1. Meanwhile, 73.56% of the surface water samples with elevated As posed level III carcinogenic risk to the local populations. Special attention to drinking water safety for children is warranted due to their lower metabolic capacity for detoxifying PTEs. This study provides insight for PTE management in sustainable water environments.
煤矿区地表水中经常存在潜在有毒元素（PTEs）污染。本研究分析了从云贵高原采集的34个地表水样本的水化学特征、空间分布、源解析及对人体健康的风险。我们的统计分析表明，地表水中PTEs的平均浓度排序如下：铁>铝>锌>锰>钡>硼>镍>锂>镉>钼>铜>钴>汞>硒>砷>铅>锑。空间分析显示，铁、铝和锰浓度高的样本主要分布在主流、西冲河和羊场河中。正定矩阵因子分解（PMF）确定了地表水中PTEs的四个来源。汞、砷和硒源自选煤厂和煤矿排放的废水。钼、锂和硼源自煤层中粘土矿物的溶解。铜、铁、铝、锰、钴和镍浓度升高归因于煤层中高岭石、伊利石、黄铜矿、黄铁矿以及与钴和镍相关矿物的溶解。镉、锌和铅源自煤炭熔炼和交通排放。确定性健康风险评估表明，94.12%的地表水样本呈现的非致癌风险低于健康限值1。同时，73.56%的砷含量升高的地表水样本对当地居民构成III级致癌风险。由于儿童对PTEs的解毒代谢能力较低，因此有必要特别关注其饮用水安全。本研究为可持续水环境中PTEs的管理提供了思路。
