Nutrient status and pollution levels in five areas around a manganese mine in southern China

Highlights

• The soil TP level was high or extremely high in all areas.

• TN, OM and available Cu were insufficient in EA, TA and RA.

• All areas reached the heavily polluted level and had high ecological risk levels.

• Mn and Cd were the dominant pollutants.

Abstract

Nutrient status and pollution levels are the main factors affecting soil restoration. The nutrient status and pollution levels in five areas, an unexplored mine area (UA), an explored mine area (EA), a tailings area (TA), a reclamation area (RA) and an agricultural area (AA), around the Pingle manganese mine in Guangxi, China, were assessed in this study. The results showed that the average total phosphorus in these five areas ranged from 1.05 to 1.57 mg/kg, corresponding to grades of extremely high and high. The average total nitrogen values were 0.19, 0.69, 0.93, 1.24 and 1.67 mg/kg in EA, TA, RA, UA and AA, corresponding to grades of very low, low, medium-low, medium-high and medium-high, respectively. The average organic matter values were 12.78, 8.92, 22.77, 21.29 and 29.11 mg/kg in EA, TA, RA, UA and AA, which corresponded to grades of medium-low, low, medium-high, medium-high and medium-high, respectively. All these results indicated that the total phosphorus was sufficient in these areas, while the total nitrogen and organic matter were insufficient in EA, TA and RA. The available concentrations of Mn and Zn corresponded to the intermediate grade, while the values for Cu corresponded to the very low grade; these might be another factor restricting ecological reclamation. Contamination and ecological risk assessments based on the single contamination index, Nemerow multi-factor index and potential ecological risk index showed that the five tested areas around the Mn mine were considered heavily polluted and presented high ecological risk. Mn and Cd were the dominant pollutants.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Ecological reclamation / Ecological risk assessment / Heavy metal / Mn mine / Soil nutrients

References

[1] Ávila P F, Silva E F D, Candeias C (2016). Health risk assessment through consumption of vegetables rich in heavy metals: the case study of the surrounding villages from Panasqueira mine, Central Portugal. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 39(3): 1–25

[2] Bian B, Wu H S, Zhou L J (2015). Contamination and risk assessment of heavy metals in soils irrigated with biogas slurry: A case study of Taihu basin. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187(5): 155

[3] Brady J, Ayoko G, Martens W, Goonetilleke A (2015). Development of a hybrid pollution index for heavy metals in marine and estuarine sediments. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187(5): 306–320

[4] Chen Z Q, Zhao L Z, Ji Y, Wen Q X (2019). Reconsideration on the effect of nitrogen on mixed culture polyhydroxyalkanoate production toward high organic loading enrichment history. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 13(4): 54https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-019-1135-2 

[5] Cheng J Z, Li Y L, Gao W C, Chen Y, Pan W J, Lee X Q, Tang Y (2018). Effects of biochar on Cd and Pb mobility and microbial community composition in a calcareous soil planted with tobacco. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 54(3): 373–383

[6] China’s Environmental Protection Agency (1990). Background value of China soil element. Beijing: China Environmental Science Press (in Chinese)

[7] Environmental Research Institution of Guangxi (ERIG) (1992). Research methodology and soil background value in Guangxi. Nanning: Guangxi Science and Technology Press (in Chinese)

[8] Evans Z C, Van Ryswyk H, Los Huertos M, Srebotnjak T (2019). Robust spatial analysis of sequestered metals in a Southern California Bioswale. Science of the Total Environment, 650(1): 155–162

[9] Fan L Q, Chen F H, Fan Y L (2012). Comprehensive assessment of soil environmental quality with improved grey clustering method: a case study of soil heavy metals pollution. Journal of Agricultural Science and Applications, 01(03): 67–73

[10] Fan Y, Li Y L, Li H, Cheng F Q (2018). Evaluating heavy metal accumulation and potential risks in soil-plant systems applied with magnesium slag-based fertilizer. Chemosphere, 197: 382–388

[11] Guan Y J, Zhou W, Bai Z K, Cao Y G, Huang Y H, Huang H Y (2020). Soil nutrient variations among different land use types after reclamation in the Pingshuo opencast coal mine on the Loess Plateau, China. Catena, 188: 104427

[12] Håkanson L (1980). An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. Water Research, 14(8): 975–1001

[13] Huang Y, Chen Q Q, Deng M H, Japenga J, Li T Q, Yang X E, He Z L (2018). Heavy metal pollution and health risk assessment of agricultural soils in a typical peri-urban area in southeast China. Journal of Environmental Management, 207: 159–168

[14] Islam M S, Ahmed M K, Al-MAMUN M H, Eaton D W (2020). Human and ecological risks of metals in soils under different land-use types in an urban environment of Bangladesh. Pedosphere, 30(2): 201–213

[15] Ji Z H, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Huang C X, Pei Y S (2019). Fraction spatial distributions and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of Baiyangdian Lake. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 174: 417–428

[16] Khosravi V, Doulati Ardejani F, Yousefi S, Aryafar A (2018). Monitoring soil lead and zinc contents via combination of spectroscopy with extreme learning machine and other data mining methods. Geoderma, 318: 29–41

[17] Kien C N, Noi N V, Son L T, Ngoc H M, Tanaka S, Nishina T, Iwasaki K K (2010). Heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils around a chromite mine in Vietnam. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 56(2): 344–356

[18] Lee J S, Lee S W, Chon H T, Kim K W (2008). Evaluation of human exposure to arsenic due to rice ingestion in the vicinity of abandoned Myungbong Au–Ag mine site, Korea. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 96(2–3): 231–235

[19] Lei M, Tie B Q, Song Z G, Liao B H, Lepo J E, Huang Y Z (2015). Heavy metal pollution and potential health risk assessment of white rice around mine areas in Hunan Province, China. Food Security, 7(1): 45–54

[20] Li M S (2006). Ecological restoration of mineland with particular reference to the metalliferous mine wasteland in China: A review of research and practice. Science of the Total Environment, 357(1–3): 38–53

[21] Li M S, Yang S X (2008). Heavy metal contamination in soils and phytoaccumulation in a manganese mine wasteland, South China. Air, Soil and Water Research, 1(1): 31–41

[22] Liu K H, Fan L Q, Li Y, Zhou Z M, Chen C S, Chen B, Yu F M (2018). Concentrations and health risks of heavy metals in soils and crops around the Pingle manganese (Mn) mine area in Guangxi Province, China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25: 30180–30190

[23] Liu K H, Lan J K, Zhang L (2000). The zonation character of the series of red soils and their environment geochemical properties in Guangxi. Journal of Guilin Institute of Technology, 20(1): 21–25 (in Chinese)

[24] Liu K H, Li C M, Tang S Q, Shang G D, Yu F M, Li Y (2020). Heavy metal concentration, potential ecological risk assessment and enzyme activity in soils affected by a lead-zinc tailing spill in Guangxi, China. Chemosphere, 251: 126415

[25] Mao Q G, Lu X K, Mo H, Gundersen P, Mo J M (2017). Effects of simulated N deposition on foliar nutrient status, N metabolism and photosynthetic capacity of three dominant understory plant species in a mature tropical forest. Science of the Total Environment, 610–611: 555–562

[26] Martins G C, Penido E S, Alvarenga I F S, Teodoro J C, Bianchi M L, Guilherme L R G (2018). Amending potential of organic and industrial by-products applied to heavy metal-rich mining soils. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 162(30): 581–590

[27] Muller G (1969). Index of geoaccumulation in sediments of the Rhine River. GeoJournal, 2(3): 108–118

[28] Nawab J, Li G, Khan S, Sher H, Aamir M, Shamshad I, Khan A, Khan M A (2016). Health risk assessment from contaminated foodstuffs: a field study in chromite mining-affected areas northern Pakistan. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 23(12): 12227–12236

[29] Oluseye O C, Fatoba P O (2013). Pollution loads and the ecological risk assessment of soil heavy metals around a mega cement factory in Southwest Nigeria. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 22(2): 487–493

[30] Onkal-Engin G, Demir I, Hiz H (2004). Assessment of urban air quality in Istanbul using fuzzy synthetic evaluation. Atmospheric Environment, 38(23): 3809–3815

[31] Radwanski D, Gallagher F, Vanderklein D W, Schäfer K V R (2017). Photosynthesis and aboveground carbon allocation of two co-occurring poplar species in an urban brownfield. Environmental Pollution, 223: 497–506

[32] Radziemska M, Bęś A, Gusiatin Z M, Cerdà A, Mazur Z, Jeznach J, Kowal P, Brtnický M (2019). The combined effect of phytostabilization and different amendments on remediation of soils from post-military areas. Science of the Total Environment, 688: 37–45

[33] Roba C, Roşu C, Piştea I, Ozunu A, Baciu C (2016). Heavy metal content in vegetables and fruits cultivated in Baia Mare mining area (Romania) and health risk assessment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 23(7): 6062–6073

[34] Ross M E, Davis K, Mccoll R, Stanley M S, Day J G, Semião A J C (2018). Nitrogen uptake by the macro-algae Cladophora coelothrix and Cladophora parriaudii: Influence on growth, nitrogen preference and biochemical composition. Algal Research, 30: 1–10

[35] Sloan J L, Uscola M, Jacobs D F (2016). Nitrogen recovery in planted seedlings, competing vegetation, and soil in response to fertilization on a boreal mine reclamation site. Forest Ecology and Management, 360: 60–68

[36] Stafilov T, Šajn R, Boev B, Cvetković J, Mukaetov D, Andreevski M, Lepitkova S. (2010). Distribution of some elements in surface soil over the Kavadarci region, Republic of Macedonia. Environmental Earth Sciences, 61(7): 1515–1530

[37] Tan Z, Hurek T, Reinhold-Hurek B (2003). Effect of N-fertilization, plant genotype and environmental conditions on nifH gene pools in roots of rice. Environmental Microbiology, 5(10): 1009–1015

[38] Wang L, Yang D, Li Z, Fu Y, Liu X, Brookes P C, Xu J (2019). A comprehensive mitigation strategy for heavy metal contamination of farmland around mining areas: Screening of low accumulated cultivars, soil remediation and risk assessment. Environmental Pollution, 245: 820–828

[39] Wei B G, Yang L S (2010). A review of heavy metal contaminations in urban soils, urban road dusts and agricultural soils from China. Microchemical Journal, 94(2): 99–107

[40] Xian Y, Wang M, Chen W (2015). Quantitative assessment on soil enzyme activities of heavy metal contaminated soils with various soil properties. Chemosphere, 139: 604–608

[41] Yu F M, Li Y, Li F R, Li C M, Liu K H (2019). The effects of EDTA on plant growth and manganese (Mn) accumulation in Polygonum pubescens Blume cultured in unexplored soil, mining soil and tailing soil from the Pingle Mn mine, China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 173: 235–242

[42] Yuan Y, Zhao Z, Niu S, Li X, Wang Y, Bai Z (2018). Reclamation promotes the succession of the soil and vegetation in opencast coal mine: A case study from Robinia pseudoacacia reclaimed forests, Pingshuo mine, China. Catena, 165: 72–79

[43] Zhu Y C, Wang L J, Zhao X Y, Lian L, Zhang Z H (2020). Accumulation and potential sources of heavy metals in soils of the Hetao area, Inner Mongolia, China. Pedosphere, 30(2): 244–252

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Key Technologies Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFD0801500), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41661077 and 41967019), Guangxi Science and Technology Development Project of Major Projects of Guangxi (Guike AA17204047-3), and Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (No. 2018JJA150018). We thank American Journal Experts (AJE) for editing the manuscript.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-020-1279-0 and is accessible for authorized users.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2020 Higher Education Press