Yu Zhenglu, Li Xuexian, Wu Pan, Han Zhiwei, Zhu Jian, Chen Manzhi, Chen Zhuo
College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jun 1;15(1):19196. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04993-3.
Soils developed in karst regions are widely reported to exhibit high geological backgrounds of heavy metals (HMs) globally. However, due to unique geological conditions, there are both mineralized and/or altered areas of polymetallic minerals in karst areas, and whether the HMs concentrations of regional soil are affected by these mineralized and/or altered areas is far from enough attention at present. This study investigated the accumulation and chemical speciation of HMs in soils from typical lead-zinc mineralized zones in karst areas of Southwest China, using random forest (RF) modeling to identify key driving factors. The results indicated significant variability in HMs concentrations. Cr, Ni, and Cu levels were comparable to Guizhou Province's background values, while Cd, Pb, Zn, As, and Hg exceeded these values by 0.54 to 44.98 times. Notably, the accumulation of Cd, Pb, and Zn was particularly pronounced, with certain samples surpassing the risk control thresholds for agricultural land. Sequential extraction analysis revealed that Cd and Pb is predominantly found in reducible fractions, (40.61% and 36.49%, respectively), indicating strong bioavailability and potential mobility. RF analysis identified TFe₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ as key factors for the accumulation of As, Hg, Cr, Ni and Cu, while MnO and the distance to lead-zinc mineralization points (DL) significantly influenced Cd, Pb, and Zn levels. This study highlights that HMs accumulation is driven by carbonate rock parent materials and Cd, Pb, and Zn levels exacerbated by lead-zinc mineralization, offering a valuable insight for regional HMs management and control. Meanwhile, the research results can provide references for the geochemical accumulation mechanisms and risk management of soil HMs in mineralized areas (belts) worldwide.
据广泛报道,全球喀斯特地区发育的土壤呈现出较高的重金属地质背景。然而,由于独特的地质条件,喀斯特地区存在多金属矿的矿化和/或蚀变区域,而目前区域土壤中重金属浓度是否受这些矿化和/或蚀变区域的影响尚未得到足够关注。本研究调查了中国西南喀斯特地区典型铅锌矿化带土壤中重金属的积累和化学形态,采用随机森林(RF)建模来确定关键驱动因素。结果表明,重金属浓度存在显著差异。铬、镍和铜的含量与贵州省的背景值相当,而镉、铅、锌、砷和汞则超过这些值0.54至44.98倍。值得注意的是,镉、铅和锌的积累尤为明显,某些样品超过了农用地的风险控制阈值。连续提取分析表明,镉和铅主要存在于可还原态中(分别为40.61%和36.49%),表明其具有较强的生物有效性和潜在迁移性。随机森林分析确定,三氧化二铁和氧化铝是砷、汞、铬、镍和铜积累的关键因素,而氧化锰和到铅锌矿化点的距离(DL)对镉、铅和锌的含量有显著影响。本研究强调,重金属积累受碳酸盐岩母质驱动,铅锌矿化加剧了镉、铅和锌的含量,为区域重金属管理和控制提供了有价值的见解。同时,研究结果可为全球矿化区(带)土壤重金属的地球化学积累机制和风险管理提供参考。