Ecological and human health risks associated with abandoned gold mine tailings contaminated soil.
Ecological and human health risks associated with abandoned gold mine tailings contaminated soil.
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0172517
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发表时间：
2017
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Fantke P
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ngole-Jeme VM;Fantke P
金矿开采是向环境排放金属和类金属的主要来源。在南非克鲁格斯多普进行了研究，以评估与接触尾矿污染土壤中的金属和类金属相关的生态和人类健康风险。该地区土壤样品中砷 (As)、镉 (Cd)、铬 (Cr)、钴 (Co)、铜 (Cu)、铅 (Pb)、锰 (Mn)、镍 (Ni) 和锌 (Zn) 的浓度随观察到的 As (3.5x102)、Co 的最高污染因子（以尾矿污染土壤中金属或类金属浓度与对照地点的比率表示）的变化而变化(2.8x102) 和镍 (1.1x102)。根据土壤金属和类金属浓度及其各自的风险因子确定的金属和类金属的潜在生态风险指数值，As (3.5x103) 和 Co (1.4x103) 相应最高，而 Mn (0.6) 的生态风险最低。使用危害商（HQ）、慢性危害指数（CHI）和致癌风险水平评估人类健康风险，其中HQ > 1、CHI > 1和致癌风险值> 1×10−4代表风险升高。 HQ 值表明 As (53.7)、Cr (14.8)、Ni (2.2)、Zn (2.64) 和 Mn (1.67) 的暴露相关风险较高。儿童比成人更容易接触重金属和类金属。儿童中与金属和类金属接触相关的癌症相关风险也高于成人，儿童中砷和镍的癌症风险值分别为 3×10−2 和 4×10−2，成人中砷和镍的癌症风险值分别为 5×10−3 和 4×10−3。金矿尾矿堆周围受污染土壤中的金属和类金属暴露存在重大的潜在生态和人类健康风险。这可能是影响该矿区非正规定居点居民健康状况的一个潜在因素，因为其中一些居民的免疫系统已经因艾滋病毒高感染率而受到损害。
Gold mining is a major source of metal and metalloid emissions into the environment. Studies were carried out in Krugersdorp, South Africa, to evaluate the ecological and human health risks associated with exposure to metals and metalloids in mine tailings contaminated soils. Concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in soil samples from the area varied with the highest contamination factors (expressed as ratio of metal or metalloid concentration in the tailings contaminated soil to that of the control site) observed for As (3.5x102), Co (2.8x102) and Ni (1.1x102). Potential ecological risk index values for metals and metalloids determined from soil metal and metalloid concentrations and their respective risk factors were correspondingly highest for As (3.5x103) and Co (1.4x103), whereas Mn (0.6) presented the lowest ecological risk. Human health risk was assessed using Hazard Quotient (HQ), Chronic Hazard Index (CHI) and carcinogenic risk levels, where values of HQ > 1, CHI > 1 and carcinogenic risk values > 1×10−4 represent elevated risks. Values for HQ indicated high exposure-related risk for As (53.7), Cr (14.8), Ni (2.2), Zn (2.64) and Mn (1.67). Children were more at risk from heavy metal and metalloid exposure than adults. Cancer-related risks associated with metal and metalloid exposure among children were also higher than in adults with cancer risk values of 3×10−2 and 4×10−2 for As and Ni respectively among children, and 5×10−3 and 4×10−3 for As and Ni respectively among adults. There is significant potential ecological and human health risk associated with metal and metalloid exposure from contaminated soils around gold mine tailings dumps. This could be a potential contributing factor to a setback in the health of residents in informal settlements dominating this mining area as the immune systems of some of these residents are already compromised by high HIV prevalence.