Evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper-nickel mine tailings ponds.

Heavy metal pollution in soils caused by mining has led to major environmental problems around the globe and seriously threatens the ecological environment. The assessment of heavy metal pollution and the local phytoremediation potential of contaminated sites is an important prerequisite for phytore...

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Main Authors: Jianfei Shi, Wenting Qian, Zhengzhong Jin, Zhibin Zhou, Xin Wang, Xiaoliang Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277159
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author Jianfei Shi
Wenting Qian
Zhengzhong Jin
Zhibin Zhou
Xin Wang
Xiaoliang Yang
author_facet Jianfei Shi
Wenting Qian
Zhengzhong Jin
Zhibin Zhou
Xin Wang
Xiaoliang Yang
author_sort Jianfei Shi
collection DOAJ
description Heavy metal pollution in soils caused by mining has led to major environmental problems around the globe and seriously threatens the ecological environment. The assessment of heavy metal pollution and the local phytoremediation potential of contaminated sites is an important prerequisite for phytoremediation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics of heavy metal pollution around a copper-nickel mine tailings pond and screen local plant species that could be potentially suitable for phytoremediation. The results showed that Cd, Cu, Ni, and Cr in the soil around the tailings pond were at the heavy pollution level, Mn and Pb pollution was moderate, and Zn and As pollution was light; The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model results showed that the contributions made by industrial pollution to Cu and Ni were 62.5% and 66.5%, respectively, atmospheric sedimentation and agricultural pollution contributions to Cr and Cd were 44.6% and 42.8%, respectively, the traffic pollution contribution to Pb was 41.2%, and the contributions made by natural pollution sources to Mn, Zn, and As were 54.5%, 47.9%, and 40.0% respectively. The maximum accumulation values for Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd, and As in 10 plants were 53.77, 102.67, 91.10, 1.16 and 7.23 mg/kg, respectively, which exceeded the normal content of heavy metals in plants. Ammophila breviligulata Fernald had the highest comprehensive extraction coefficient (CEI) and comprehensive stability coefficient (CSI) at 0.81 and 0.83, respectively. These results indicate that the heavy metal pollution in the soil around the copper nickel mine tailings pond investigated in this study is serious and may affect the normal growth of plants. Ammophila breviligulata Fernald has a strong comprehensive remediation capacity and can be used as a remediation plant species for multiple metal compound pollution sites.
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spelling doaj.art-b02fca078ef84549b1c622603b32a5f52023-04-14T05:31:31ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01183e027715910.1371/journal.pone.0277159Evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper-nickel mine tailings ponds.Jianfei ShiWenting QianZhengzhong JinZhibin ZhouXin WangXiaoliang YangHeavy metal pollution in soils caused by mining has led to major environmental problems around the globe and seriously threatens the ecological environment. The assessment of heavy metal pollution and the local phytoremediation potential of contaminated sites is an important prerequisite for phytoremediation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics of heavy metal pollution around a copper-nickel mine tailings pond and screen local plant species that could be potentially suitable for phytoremediation. The results showed that Cd, Cu, Ni, and Cr in the soil around the tailings pond were at the heavy pollution level, Mn and Pb pollution was moderate, and Zn and As pollution was light; The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model results showed that the contributions made by industrial pollution to Cu and Ni were 62.5% and 66.5%, respectively, atmospheric sedimentation and agricultural pollution contributions to Cr and Cd were 44.6% and 42.8%, respectively, the traffic pollution contribution to Pb was 41.2%, and the contributions made by natural pollution sources to Mn, Zn, and As were 54.5%, 47.9%, and 40.0% respectively. The maximum accumulation values for Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd, and As in 10 plants were 53.77, 102.67, 91.10, 1.16 and 7.23 mg/kg, respectively, which exceeded the normal content of heavy metals in plants. Ammophila breviligulata Fernald had the highest comprehensive extraction coefficient (CEI) and comprehensive stability coefficient (CSI) at 0.81 and 0.83, respectively. These results indicate that the heavy metal pollution in the soil around the copper nickel mine tailings pond investigated in this study is serious and may affect the normal growth of plants. Ammophila breviligulata Fernald has a strong comprehensive remediation capacity and can be used as a remediation plant species for multiple metal compound pollution sites.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277159
spellingShingle Jianfei Shi
Wenting Qian
Zhengzhong Jin
Zhibin Zhou
Xin Wang
Xiaoliang Yang
Evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper-nickel mine tailings ponds.
PLoS ONE
title Evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper-nickel mine tailings ponds.
title_full Evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper-nickel mine tailings ponds.
title_fullStr Evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper-nickel mine tailings ponds.
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper-nickel mine tailings ponds.
title_short Evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper-nickel mine tailings ponds.
title_sort evaluation of soil heavy metals pollution and the phytoremediation potential of copper nickel mine tailings ponds
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277159
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