Environmental availability and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue

Four different methods,namely mineralogical analysis,three-stage BCR sequential extraction procedure,dynamic leaching test and Hakanson Potential Ecological Risk Index Method were used to access the environmental activity and potential ecological risks of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue.The results demonstrate that the environmental activity of heavy metals declines in the following order：CdZnCuAsPb.Potential ecological risk indices for single heavy metal are CdZnCuAsPb.Cd has serious potential ecological risk to the ecological environment and contributes most to the potential toxicity response indices for various heavy metals in the residue.

Physicochemical and environmental properties of arsenic sulfide sludge from copper and lead-zinc smelter

Physicochemical properties of arsenic sulfide sludge(ASS) from copper smelter(ASS-I) and lead-zinc smelter(ASS-II) were examined by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM-EDS, TG-DTA, XPS and chemical phase analysis method. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure(TCLP), Chinese standard leaching tests(CSLT), three-stage sequential extraction procedure(BCR) and batch leaching experiments(BLE) were used to investigate the environmental stability. The ASSs from different smelters had obviously different physicochemical and environmental properties. The phase composition and micrograph analysis indicate that ASS-I mainly consists of super refined flocculent particles including amorphous arsenic sulfide adhered with amorphous sulfur and that ASS-II mainly consists of amorphous arsenic sulfide. The valence state of arsenic in both sludges is trivalent, but the valence composition of sulfur is quite different. The ASSs have thermal instability properties. The results of TCLP and CSLT indicate that the concentrations of As and Pd in the leaching solution exceed the standard limits. More than 5% and 90% of arsenic are in the form of acid soluble and oxidizable fractions, respectively, which explains the high arsenic leaching toxicity and environmental activity of ASS. This research provides comprehensive information for the disposal of ASS from copper and lead-zinc smelter.

Contamination,Fractionation and Availability of Metals in Urban Soils in the Vicinity of Former Lead and Zinc Smelters,France

Soil contamination by metals from anthropogenic activities （e.g., mining and smelting） is a major concern for the environment and human health. Environmental availability of cadmium （Cd）, lead （Pb）, zinc （Zn）, copper （Cu）, and indium （In） in 27 urban soils located around two former Pb and Zn smelters in Northern France were studied by analysing the chemical forms of these metals and evaluating their phytoavailability. These metals were determined using flame or electrothermal absorption atomic spectrometry （FAAS or ETAAS）, depending on their concentration levels. After optimisation of the ETAAS method, characteristic mass of In in water and aqua regia were 9.9 and 18 pg, respectively, showing the high sensitivity of the analytical procedure. Metal partitioning was conducted using a four-step sequential extraction procedure. The results showed that Cd and Zn were mainly in the acid-extractable and reducible forms in the urban soils studied. In contrast, Pb and In were largely in the reducible fraction. However, in some samples, the amount of In extracted in the residual or exchangeable fraction was higher than that in the reducible fraction. Copper was mainly found in the reducible and residual fractions. A pot experiment was conducted in a glasshouse with seven soils （six contaminated and one uncontaminated） and two plant species, ryegrass and lettuce. The results showed transfer of metals from the contaminated soils to the shoots of ryegrass and the edible part of lettuce. The metal bioconcentration factor was in the order of Cd 〉〉 Cu 〉 In 〉 Zn 〉〉 Pb for lettuce leaves, whereas for ryegrass shoots, three orders were found, Cd 〉 Zn 〉 Cu 〉〉 In 〉 Pb, Cd 〉〉 In 〉 Zn 〉 Cu 〉〉Pb, and Zn 〉 Cd 〉 Cu 〉 In 〉〉 Pb, depending on the physico-chemical properties of the soils, such as pH, cation exchange capacity, carbonates, and organic matter. It was established that the metal toxicity was related to the contamination levels and the physico-chemical properties, including pH, organic matter, and in a lesser extent, Ca, Mg, and phosphorus contents, of the soils. However, it was shown that lettuce could grow on soils having high Cd and CaCO3 contents. Cadmium was one of the most available metals while Pb was always the least available in the soils studied.

Impacts of Forest Gaps on Soil Properties After a Severe Ice Storm in a Cunninghamia lanceolata Stand

During January–February 2008, a severe ice storm caused significant damages to forests in southern China, creating canopy gaps and changing soil nutrient availability and enzyme activity. To understand the relationships between gap size, changes in the soil environment and the effects that these changes have on soil processes, we investigated the effects of gap size on soil chemical and biological properties in the forest gaps in a Cunninghamia lanceolata stand in northern Guangdong Province, southern China. Ten naturally created gaps, five large(80–100 m^2) and five small(30–40 m^2), were selected in the stand of C.lanceolata. The large gaps showed a significant increase in light transmission ratio and air and soil temperatures and a decline in soil moisture, organic matter,N and P compared with the small gaps and the adjacent canopy-covered plots in the 0–10 cm soil. The differences in organic matter and nutrient levels found between the large and small gaps and the canopy-covered plots may be related to changes in environmental conditions. This indicated rapid litter decomposition and increased nutrient leaching in the large gaps. Moreover, the lowest levels of catalase, acid phosphatase and urease activities occurred in large gaps because of the decline in their soil fertility. Large forest gaps may have a region of poor fertility, reducing soil nutrient availability and enzyme activity within the C.lanceolata stand.