Spatial distribution and potential ecological and health risks associated with heavy metals in the Ijero-Ekiti mining site,Nigeria

Artisanal gold mining,a labor-intensive and antiquated technique,is a growing industry and the source of income for rural communities all over the world.However,artisanal gold mining has potential negative and long-term effects on economy,environment,and society.This study collected soil samples from 16 sample points including a control point to examine the pollution degrees and spatial distribution of heavy metals,as well as ecological and health risks associated with heavy metal pollution in the Ijero-Ekiti mining site,Nigeria.Geographical Information System(GIS)and remote sensing technologies were used to identify regions with high concentrations of heavy metals and assess the environmental impact of gold mining activities.The results show that the mean heavy metal concentrations of 16 soil pointa are 8.94(±5.97)mg/kg for As,0.18(±0.54)mg/kg for Cd,0.11(±1.06)mg/kg for Co,14.32(±3.43)mg/kg for Cr,6.89(±0.64)mg/kg for Cu,48.92(±11.77)mg/kg for Fe,135.81(±30.75)mg/kg for Mn,5.92(±0.96)mg/kg for Ni,5.72(±1.66)mg/kg for Pb,and 13.94(±1.38)mg/kg for Zn.The study reveals that heavy metal concentration in soils follows the order of Mn>Fe>Cr>Zn>As>Cu>Ni>Pb>Co>Cd.An analysis of soil samples indicates that 3 principal components(PCs)account for 70.008%of the total variance and there are strong positive correlations between various pairs of heavy metals.The total potential ecological risk index(309.599)in the study area is high.Non-carcinogenic risk suggests that there may be long-term health impacts on people who work in the mining areas due to chronic exposure to the environment.Based on the study,the hazard index of carcinogenic health risks associated with heavy metals through ingestion is 520.00×10^(–4).Dermal contact from As and Cr also increases the risk of cancer,with the highest hazard index value of 18.40×10^(–4).The lowest exposure pathway,with the hazard index value of 0.68×10^(–4),indicates that the inhalation of heavy metals has a comparatively low risk of cancer.This study recommends the formulation of policies to monitor the Ijero-Ekiti mining site and other regions in Nigeria where indiscriminate artisanal gold mining activities exist.

Landscape ecological risk assessment and its driving factors in the Weihe River basin,China

Weihe River basin is of great significance to analyze the changes of land use pattern and landscape ecological risk and to improve the ecological basis of regional development.Based on land use data of the Weihe River basin in 2000,2010,and 2020,with the support of Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System(ArcGIS),GeoDa,and other technologies,this study analyzed the spatial-temporal characteristics and driving factors of land use pattern and landscape ecological risk.Results showed that land use structure of the Weihe River basin has changed significantly,with the decrease of cropland and the increase of forest land and construction land.In the past 20 a,cropland has decreased by 7347.70 km2,and cropland was mainly converted into forest land,grassland,and construction land.The fragmentation and dispersion of ecological landscape pattern in the Weihe River basin were improved,and land use pattern became more concentrated.Meanwhile,landscape ecological risk of the Weihe River basin has been improved.Severe landscape ecological risk area decreased by 19,177.87 km2,high landscape ecological risk area decreased by 3904.35 km2,and moderate and low landscape ecological risk areas continued to increase.It is worth noting that landscape ecological risks in the upper reaches of the Weihe River basin are still relatively serious,especially in the contiguous areas of high ecological risk,such as Tianshui,Pingliang,Dingxi areas and some areas of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.Landscape ecological risk showed obvious spatial dependence,and high ecological risk area was concentrated.Among the driving factors,population density,precipitation,normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),and their interactions are the most important factors affecting the landscape ecological risk of the Weihe River basin.The findings significantly contribute to our understanding of the ecological dynamics in the Weihe River basin,providing crucial insights for sustainable management in the region.

Impact of Exercise on Depression in Older Adults:Potential Benefits,Risks,and Appropriate Application Strategies

As the global elderly population increases,depression within this group has become a significant public health concern.Although exercise has been recognized for its potential to improve depression in the elderly,the benefits,risks,and implementation strategies remain contentious.This review attempts to examine the impact of exercise on depression in older adults,including potential benefits,risks,and suggestions for application.Our analysis highlights the benefits of aerobic and resistance training,which can significantly alleviate depressive symptoms and enhance overall quality of life.Despite these benefits,the review acknowledges the complexity of the exercise-depression interaction in the elderly,necessitating personalized exercise regimens.Potential risks,such as muscle and joint pain,are pointed out,emphasizing the importance of tailored,supervised exercise programs.The review calls for future research to focus on identifying the most effective types of exercise and regimens for this population,considering factors such as age,gender,and existing health conditions.Lastly,it advocates for the inclusion of exercise in comprehensive treatment plans for depression in older adults,viewing it as a promising step toward achieving holistic mental health care in a growing demographic.

Heavy Metal Levels and Ecological Risk in Crude Oil-Contaminated Soils from Okpare-Olomu, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Crude oil spills have inflicted extensive disruption upon the Niger Delta ecosystem, resulting in crop loss and severe environmental damage. Such spills exacerbate heavy metal concentration within soil due to the presence of metallic ions. The Okpare-Olomu community has borne the brunt of crude oil pollution from illicit bunkering, sabotage, and equipment malfunction. This study targets an evaluation of ecological hazards linked to heavy metals (HMs) in crude oil impacted agriculturally soils within Okpare-Olomu in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State. In this study, 24 topsoil samples were obtained from areas affected by crude oil pollution;the heavy metal content was evaluated through atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentration ranges for HMs (mg/kg) in soil were: 24.1 - 23,174 (Cu);0.54 - 37.1 (Cd);9.05 - 54 (Cr);12 - 174 (Ni);18.5 - 8611 (Pb);and 148 - 9078 (Zn) at a soil depth of 0 - 15 cm. Notably, metal concentrations were recorded to be above permissible World Health Organization limits. Predominantly, Zn and Pb recorded higher heavy metal concentration when compared to other heavy metals analysed, notably at sampling points PT7 through PT24. Zinc and Pb contamination exhibited highly significant contamination factors, and contamination severity was evidenced across all sample points, signifying a grave risk level. Pollution load indices indicated pervasive extreme pollution levels. Geoaccumulation indices signaled moderate to strong pollution, mainly by Pb and Zn. Ecological risk assessments revealed variable levels of heavy metal contamination, from low to very high, with potential ecological risk reflecting markedly elevated levels. This study underscores the imperative for soil remediation to rectify ecological imbalances in agriculturally affected soil constituents.

Socioenvironmental Drivers of Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change Risk in Agroforestry Parklands of West Atacora in Benin (West Africa)

Throughout the world, climate change is threatening the human population. In West Africa, smallholder farmers in indigenous agricultural societies typically hold considerable knowledge. Therefore, this study was conducted in West Atacora of Benin Republic to assess the drivers of farmers’ perceptions of climate change risk. We used a random sampling technique to select 360 households’ heads who were interviewed regarding different climate change risks perception. Binomial logistic regression was used to assess the drivers of farmers’ perceptions of climate change risks. The results showed that the farmers in drier areas had a higher perception of the global risk of climate change than those in humid areas. The same trend was observed for the seven different individual’s climate change risk investigated. The study identified also membership of farm organizations as main sociodemographic characteristic that explains farmers’ perception of climate change risk perception. These findings are helpful tools to sensitize the local people on climate change risk and cope with the risk in agricultural lands.

Influencing Factors and Prediction of Risk of Returning to Ecological Poverty in Liupan Mountain Region,China

China has resolved its overall regional poverty in 2020 by attaining moderate societal prosperity.The country has entered a new development stage designed to achieve its second centenary goal.However,ecological fragility and risk susceptibility have increased the risk of returning to ecological poverty.In this paper,the Liupan Mountain Region of China was used as a case study,and the counties were used as the scale to reveal the spatiotempora differentiation and influcing factors of the risk of returning to poverty in study area.The indicator data for returning to ecological poverty from 2011-2020 were collected and summarized in three dimensions:ecological,economic and social.The autoregressive integrated moving average model(ARIMA)time series and exponential smoothing method(ES)were used to predict the multidimensional indicators of returning to ecological poverty for 61 counties(districts)in the Liupan Mountain Region for 2021-2030.The back propagation neural network(BPNN)and geographic information system(GIS)were used to generate the spatial distribution and time variation for the index of the risk of returning to ecological poverty(RREP index).The results show that 1)ecological factors were the main factors in the risk of returning to ecological poverty in Liupan Mountain Region.2)The RREP index for the 61 counties(districts)exhibited a downward trend from 2021-2030.The RREP index declined more in medium-and high-risk areas than in low-risk areas.From 2021 to 2025,the RREP index exhibited a slight downward trend.From 2026 to2030,the RREP index was expected to decline faster,especially from 2029-2030.3)Based on the RREP index,it can be roughly divided into three types,namely,the high-risk areas,the medium-risk areas,and the low-risk areas.The natural resource conditions in lowrisk areas of returning to ecological poverty,were better than those in medium-and high-risk areas.

Spatio-temporal Evolution and Optimization of Landscape Ecological Risk in Karst Mountainous Areas

[Objective]The ecological vulnerability and landscape ecological risk of karst mountainous areas have increased as a result of enhanced disturbance of natural resources by human activities.This paper aimed to explore the characteristics of ecological risk evolution under different landscape patterns in the region,with a view to providing reference for land classification protection,sustainable use of resources and regional ecological risk optimization in karst mountainous areas.[Method]Taking Huangping County,a typical karst mountainous area,as an example,eight evaluation factors of natural and landscape patterns were selected to construct a landscape ecological risk evaluation model,to quantitatively explore the spatio-temporal evolution of landscape ecological risk and the trend of risk level transfer in the study area from^(2)010-2018,and to reveal the complex relationship between ecological risk and topography in karst mountainous areas.[Result]①From 2010 to 2018,land use types changed to different degrees,with the most amount of woodland transferred out(1627.37 hm^(2))and the most amount of construction land transferred in(1303.93 hm^(2));a total of 3552.31 hm^(2) of land was transferred,with a change ratio of 2.13%,and there was a significant conversion between construction land,arable land,and woodland.②From 2010 to 2018,the landscape ecological risk in the study area changed significantly,and the landscape ecological risk index decreased from 0.3441 to 0.1733,showing an upward and then downward trend;the landscape ecological risk of the whole region was dominated by low-risk and lower-risk zones,and the ecological risk level generally shifted from a high level to a low level,and the ecological environment was improved.③There was a negative correlation between ecological risk and topographic position,and high-risk zones were mainly distributed among low topographic zones;with the change of time,the advantage of risk level for the selection of topography was gradually weakened,and the influence of anthropogenic factors on the ecological risk of the landscape was becoming more and more prominent.[Conclusion]This paper can provide theoretical basis for land use optimization and ecological protection in karst mountainous areas.

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port based on modified potential ecological risk index

Modified potential ecological risk index （MRI） was proposed based on the potential ecological risk index （RI） and risk assessment code （RAC） by modifying an index. The modified index was relevant to the chemical speciation of heavy metals. Xiawan Port, a typical region contaminated by industrial production, was selected as a case study area. The total concentrations and chemical speciation of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port were analyzed. The experimental data indicate that Xiawan Port is seriously polluted by heavy metals, especially by Cd. The risks of heavy metals are evaluated by RI, RAC and MRI, respectively. The resluts of MRI show that the risks of heavy metals are in the decreasing order of Cd〉Pb〉Cu〉Zn. Comparison of results by different methods reveals that MRI integrates the characters of RI and RAC. MRI is recognized to be useful for risk managemnt of heavy metals in sediments.

Distribution Characteristic and Potential Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Latosol in the Western Area of Hainan Island

[Objective] The paper was to carry out ecological geochemical survey and ecological risk assessment on the heavy metals in latosol in western area of Hainan Island.[Method] The contents of six heavy metals including Cr,Cu,Zn,As,Cd and Pb in latosol in western area of Hainan Island were analyzed.Single-factor index method and Hakanson ecological risk index method were used to evaluate the integrated pollution effect of heavy metals in latosol.[Result] The average contents of Cr,Cu,Zn,As,Cd and Pb in latosol in western area of Hainan Island were 65.57,35.16,93.56,8.50,0.24 and 79.29 mg/kg,respectively.The major pollution factor of heavy metal was Pb.The sequence of influence factors of various heavy metals was PbCu = ZnCrAsCd.The potential ecological risk coefficient of various heavy metals was PbCdCuAsCrZn.The average value of potential ecological risk index（RI）was 45.14,belonging to low ecological risk range.[Conclusion] The heavy metal pollution in latosol in western area of Hainan Island belongs to slight pollution.

Ecological risk assessment and early warning of heavy metal cumulation in the soils near the Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area,Henan Province,central China

The Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area is rich in mineral resources and has a long history of mining.The environmental impact of long-term mining activities cannot be ignored.It is of great significance to study the ecological risk and the accumulation trends of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas for scientific prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.Taking the Taowanbeigou River Basin in the mine concentration area as the research object,the ecological pollution risk and cumulative effect of heavy metals in the soil of the basin were studied by using the comprehensive pollution index method,potential ecological risk assessment method and geoaccumulation index method.On this basis,the cumulative exceeding years of specific heavy metals were predicted by using the early warning model.The comprehensive potential ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil near the Luanchuan mine concentration area is moderate,and the single element Cd is the main ecological risk factor,with a contribution rate of 53.6%.The overall cumulative degrees of Cu and Pb in the soil are“none-moderate”,Zn and Cd are moderate,Mo has reached an extremely strong cumulative level,Hg,As and Cr risks are not obvious,and the overall cumulative risks order is Mo>Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb>Hg.According to the current accumulation rate and taking the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land as the reference standard,the locations over standard rates of Cu,Zn and Cd will exceed 78%in 90years,and the over standard rate of Pb will reach approximately 57%in 200 years.The cumulative exceeding standard periods of As,Cr and Hg are generally long,which basically indicates that these elements do not pose a significant potential threat to the ecological environment.Mining activities will accelerate the accumulation of heavy metals in soil.With the continuous development of mining activities,the potential pollution risk of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas will also increase.

Soil Contamination by Heavy Metals and Evaluations on Potential Ecological Risks in an Antimony Mine

To study the status of soil quality in an antimony mine, soil samples were collected from different regions and the elements＇ contents of Sb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Ni and As were analyzed using single factor pollution index, Nemerow index and potential ecological risk index. The heavy metal contamination of soils were evaluated. The results showed that Nemerow index for each sampled point was less than 0.7, meaning a clean state. When potential ecological risk assessment was conducted, the sampled point was less than 150, belonging to light pollution.

Heavy metal pollution and potential ecological risk in reclaimed soils in Huainan mining area

In order to determine the environmental quality condition of reclaimed soils inHuainan mining area, soil samples were collected from three representative mines, suchas Panyi Mine, Xinzhuangzi Mine and Datong Mine.The total concentration of Cd, Hg, Cu,Pb and As in the samples were analyzed.The potential ecological risk was used to evaluatethe heavy metals pollution.The investigation reveals that the reclaimed soils are contaminatedto a certain degree and the trace elements in coal gangue transferred to thesurface soil.The order of potential ecological risk is Cd>Hg>Cu>Pb>As; the pollution degreeof each sampling site is arranged in the following order: Xinzhuangzi Mine>DatongMine>Panyi Mine, and the multiform of heavy metals of potential ecological risk index is at357.35～484.62.

Speciation, distribution, and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in Xiamen Bay surface sediment

Based on the survey of surface sediment in Xiamen Bay in October 2011, the speciation, distribution, and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals （Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr） in this area were studied us-ing the sequential extraction method and ecological risk assessment method. The results indicated：（1） the total concentrations of these heavy metals were influenced by runoff, industrial wastewater, and sewage, and were all higher in the coastal area than the offshore area while the highest area of Pb was a little far-ther away from the coastal water due to atmosphere deposition;（2） sequential extractions suggested that Cu was mainly composed with residual and Fe/Mn-oxide bound fractions, Pb was bound to Fe/Mn-oxide, Zn and Cr were dominated by residual, and Cd bound to exchangeable and carbonate fractions; （3） the order of migration and transformation sequence was Cd＆gt;Pb＆gt;Cu＆gt;Zn＆gt;Cr and the degree of pollution was Cd＆gt;Pb＆gt;Cu＆gt;Zn＆gt;Cr;and （4） the ratios of the secondary and primary phases showed that Zn and Cr were both clean, Cu may be polluted, Pb was moderately polluted, while Cd was heavily polluted.

Flocculation performance of a novel synthesized flocculant with low ecological risk

Combined flocculants with low ecological risk are urgently required in water supply and wastewater treatment in China. A novel flocculant was thus developed under the condition of low ecological risk(noted as CAS). The experiments to examine wastewater treatment performance of the new product showed that there was favourable performance in the flocculation process in contrast to commercial flocculants in treating kaolin suspensions, municipal effluent and domestic wastewater. Flocculation performance included the turbidity removal rate, sediment character and a decrease in COD(chemical oxygen demand). The sediment time of flocculation is short and the removal rate of turbidity treated by CAS is high compared with PAC(polyaluminum chloride), PAM(polyacrylamide) and the combined addition of PAC and PAM. The optimal concentration required to affect flocculation processes is dependent on kaolin concentration and the character of the wastewater within the range examined. It also showed that CAS is effective to treat wastewater with high turbidity.

Potential Ecological Risks of Heavy Metals in Soils of Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone

In this research, soil samples were collected from Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone to investigate heavy metal pollutions in this region and to evaluate the potential ecological risks of heavy metal pollutants based on Hakanson Potential Ecological Risk Indexes. According to the results, Hg was the primary heavy metal pollutant in Blue Economic Zone, followed by Cd, Cu, and Pb as prevalent pollutants. Heavy metals ranked in order of their pollution degrees are: Hg>Cd>Cu>Pb>Zn>Cr>As;the potential ecological risks of heavy metals follow the order of Hg>Cd>As>Pb>Cu>Cr>Zn. Heavy metal pollutions did exist in this region to a certain extent, and the percentage of potential ecological risk in “strong” and “severe” degree reached up to 13.75%. This composite risk characteristic was subject to the restriction of Hg and Cd mainly distributed in Laizhou-Zhaoyuan- Yantai, Muping-Rushan Goldmine, and other densely-populated regions, threatening the safety production of crops. The combined effects of geological background and human activities, e.g. gold mining and domestic pollutants, were the main causes of high potential ecological risks of heavy metals in local environment.

Spatial distribution and ecological risk of heavy metals and their source apportionment in soils from a typical mining area, Inner Mongolia, China

Determining the distributions and sources of heavy metals in soils and assessing ecological risks are fundamental tasks in the control and management of pollution in mining areas.In this study,we selected 244 sampling sites around a typical lead(Pb)and zinc(Zn)mining area in eastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China and measured the content of six heavy metals,including cuprum(Cu),Zn,Pb,arsenic(As),cadmium(Cd),and chromium(Cr).The ecological risk of heavy metals was comprehensively evaluated using the Geo-accumulation index,Nemerow general pollution index,and potential ecological risk index.The heavy metals were traced using correlation analysis and principal component analysis.The results showed that the highest content of heavy metals was found in 0–5 cm soil layer in the study area.The average content of Zn,As,Pb,Cu,Cr,and Cd was 670,424,235,162,94,and 4 mg/kg,respectively,all exceeding the risk screening value of agricultural soil in China.The areas with high content of soil heavy metals were mainly distributed near the tailings pond.The study area was affected by a combination of multiple heavy metals,with Cd and As reaching severe pollution levels.The three pathways of exposure for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks were ranked as inhalation>oral ingestion>dermal absorption.The heavy metals in the study area posed certain hazards to human health.Specifically,oral ingestion of these heavy metals carried carcinogenic risks for both children and adults,as well as noncarcinogenic risks for children.There were differences in the sources of different heavy metals.The tailings pond had a large impact on the accumulation of Cd,Zn,and Pb.The source of Cr was the soil parent material,the source of As was mainly the soil matrix,and the source of Cu was mainly the nearby Cu ore.The purpose of this study is to more accurately understand the extent,scope,and source of heavy metals pollution near a typical mining area,providing effective help to solve the problem of heavy metals pollution.

The ecological risks of hydrogen peroxide as a cyanocide:its effect on the community structure of bacterioplankton

Microcystis blooms are an environmental and ecological concern that has received a serious attention. Hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2) is an environment-friendly cyanocide that is commonly used to control Microcystis blooms. While the ecological safety of H_2O_2 has been previously studied, its influence on bacterioplankton has not been investigated to date. In this study, we used mesocosm experiments to determine the influence of H_2O_2 on the dynamic changes of the community structure of bacterioplankton. By using deep-sequencing and metagenomics strategy we determined the community structures of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton assemblages that were dominated by M icrocystis at a highly eutrophic Dianchi Lake, China. The results showed that M icrocystis was more sensitive to H_2O_2 than other eukaryotic algae. More interestingly, application of H_2O_2 changed the community structure of bacterioplankton, evidenced by the emergence of F irmicutes as the dominant species in place of B acteroidetes and Proteobacteria. The H_2O_2 treatment resulted in the community of bacterioplankton that was primarily dominated by E xiguobacterium and Planomicrobium. Our results show that the abundance changed and the bacterioplankton diversity did not recover even after the concentration of H_2O_2 reached to the background level. Thus, the response of bacterioplankton must be considered when assessing the ecological risks of using H_2O_2 to control Microcystis blooms, because bacterioplankton is the key player that forms the basis of food web of aquatic environment.

Marine ecological risk assessment for the herbicide sulfometuron-methyl based on species sensitivity distribution approach

In recent years,herbicide sulfometuron-methyl(SM)has been used to kill the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in some coastal areas of China,which may lead to the toxic effects on non-target marine organisms.The 96-h median effective concentrations(96-h EC50)of SM on six species of marine microalgae were measured in growth inhibition tests,and were then compared with other published toxicity data,based on which a method of species sensitivity distribution(SSD)was built to estimate the hazardous concentration of SM for 5%of species(HC5)and potentially affected fraction(PAF)for a certain concentration.Results indicate that SM exhibited a high toxicity to two species of green algae(Chlorella pacifica and Dunaliella salina)with a 96-h EC50 of 0.11 and 0.13 mg/L respectively,had a medium toxicity to two species of golden algae(Diacronema viridis and Isochrysis galbana)with a 96-h EC50 of 14.24 and 21.48 mg/L respectively,and showed a low toxicity to two species of diatoms(Skeletonema costatum and Phaeodactylum tricornutum)with a 96-h EC50 of 148.99 and>100 mg/L,respectively.The estimated values of HC5 and the predicted no-effect concentrations(PNEC)for SM were 0.077 and 0.015 mg/L,respectively.According to the current dosage for killing S.alterniflora in tidal flats in Fujian Province,China,SM entering the sea by spraying might cause the acute injury or death of 14%of marine species.This hazard could last for about a month for those sensitive species.Therefore,on the premise of inhibiting the growth of this invasive plant,the dosage of SM should be reduced as much as possible to avoid severe damage to the marine ecosystem.The results provide a valuable information for marine ecological risk assessment on SM and for marine environmental management.

Potential ecological risks of Cd for different benthos in artificial reefs

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is used to detect Cdforbenthos in the artificial reef .The results show that： Cd of benthos is varied from0.011μg/L to 0.541 μg/L, and averages 0.188 ± 0.220 μg/L. The distribution of Cddecreased in the order： gonads〉 gills〉 muscle in different tissues. The enrichmentregalurity in muscle Cd of different benthos was Oratosquilla, crab, fish, shrimp,ocellatus. Its health risk factor is far less than 1, indicating that Cd hasn’t obvious healthrishks on exposure population.

Rapid detection and risk assessment of soil contamination at lead smelting site based on machine learning

A general prediction model for seven heavy metals was established using the heavy metal contents of 207soil samples measured by a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer(XRF)and six environmental factors as model correction coefficients.The eXtreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost)model was used to fit the relationship between the content of heavy metals and environment characteristics to evaluate the soil ecological risk of the smelting site.The results demonstrated that the generalized prediction model developed for Pb,Cd,and As was highly accurate with fitted coefficients(R~2)values of 0.911,0.950,and 0.835,respectively.Topsoil presented the highest ecological risk,and there existed high potential ecological risk at some positions with different depths due to high mobility of Cd.Generally,the application of machine learning significantly increased the accuracy of pXRF measurements,and identified key environmental factors.The adapted potential ecological risk assessment emphasized the need to focus on Pb,Cd,and As in future site remediation efforts.