Concentration and speciation of heavy elements in soils and plants around Ijo porphyry copper mine (NW Share-Babak, Kerman province)

Authors

1 Shahrood University of Technology

2 Academic member, Shahrood University of Technology

Abstract

Heavy metal concentration and speciation in soils and native plants around the Ijo copper mine (Kerman province) are investigated in the present study. For this purpose, 34 soil samples (0-40 cm in depth) and 8 native plants (Artemisia sp.) are collected and analyzed by means of standard methods. In addition, chemical forms of heavy metals are determined by Tessier five-stage extraction procedure. The results obtained indicated that Cu (457.25 mg/kg on average) in potassic alteration zone and As, Pb and Zn in argillic (47.06, 137 and 580 mg/kg on average, respectively) have the highest concentrations. The calculated enrichment factor (EF) and geo accumulation indices (Igeo) also confirmed this distribution pattern. The results of sequential extraction method indicated that all the metal studied have relatively low proportion in the exchangeable fraction (F1, 1/89 % of their total contents) and high contribution in the residual fraction (79/70 % of total contents) implicating their main geogenic sources in the soils. Levels of heavy metal in Artemisia and based upon the calculated biogeochemical indices (Transfer factor-TF and Bioconcentration factor-BCF), it was revealed that Zn and Cr (Mn as well) have the highest and lowest transfer factors, respectively. Also, the highest BCF are calculated for Mo, Cd and Cu. This study generally concludes that although the metals in soils are inherited mainly from the natural or lithogenic source in the study area, intensive exploitation and mining activities might enhance the soil metal contamination rate and make metals more available that it should be considered in future assessments.

Keywords


طالبی. م (1384) مطالعه لیتوژئوشیمی، دگرسانی و سیالات درگیر کانسار مس پورفیری ایجو، شمال­غرب شهر بابک. پایان‌نامه، کارشناسی­ارشد، دانشکده علوم­زمین، دانشگاه تربیت مدرس، 215 ص.
فرقانی تـهرانی. گ و مر. ف (1391) کـاربرد تکنیک­های گونه­سازی عناصر جزئی در رسوبات و خاک، اولین همایشتخصصی کاربرد شیمی در علوم­زمین، سازمان زمین‌شناسی و اکتشافات معدنی کشور.
Abollino, O., Giacomino, A., Malandrino,. M., Mentasti, E., Aceto, M., and  Barberis, R (2005) Assessment of metal availability in a contaminated soil by  sequential extraction: Water, Air, and Soil  Pollution, 137: 315-338.
Baker,  A.J.M., and Brooks, R (1989) Terrestrial higher plants which hyper accumulate metallic elements-a review of their distribution; Ecology and Photochemistry: Bio-recovery, 1: 81-26.
Barkett, M. O. and Akun, E (2018) Heavy metal contents of contaminated soils and ecological risk assessment in abandoned copper mine harbor in Yedidalga, Northern Cyprus. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77: 378-389.
 Chen, S., Zhou, Q. X., Sun, Ln, Sun, T. H., and Chao, L (2007) Speciation of cadmium and lead in soils as affected by metal loading quantity and aging time: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and  Toxicology, 78: 184-187.
Ghayoraneh, M., Qishlaqi, A (2017) Concentration, distribution and speciation of heavy metals in soils along a transect around a Zn/Pb smelter in Northwest of Iran. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 180: 1-14.
Huang, L., Bell, R. W., Dell, B., and Woodward, J (2004) Rapid nitric acid digestion of plant material with an open-vessel microwave system. Communications in Soil science and Plant analysis, 35: 427-440.
Kabata – Pendias, A (2011) Trace Elements in Soils and Plants, CRC press, Boca Raton, 403 p.
Mason, B., and Moore, C. B (1982) Principles of geochemistry: John Wiley and Sons, New York, 344 p.
Meng, J., Tao, M., Wang, L. and Xingmei, X (2018) Changes in heavy metal bioavailability and speciation from a Pb-Zn mining soil amended with biochars from co-pyrolysis of rice straw and swine manure. Science of The Total Environment, 633: 300-307.
Mirnejad, H., Mathur, R., Hassenzadeh, J., Shafaie, B., Nourali., S (2013) Linking cu mineralization to host porphyry emplacement: Re-Os ages of molybdenites versus u-pb ages of zircons and sulfur isotope compositions of pyrite and chalcopyrite from the Iju and Sarkuh porphyry deposits in southeast Iran. Economic Geology, 108: 861–870.
Müller, G (1969) Index of geoaccumulation in the sediments of the Rhine River: Geojournal, 2: 108–118.
Nannoni, F., Protano,  G., and Riccobono, F (2011) Fractionation and geochemical mobility of heavy elements in soils of a mining area in northern Kosovo. Geoderma, 161: 63-73.
Reeuwijk, J. P (1995) Procedure for soil analysis. Technical Paper. ISRIC, The Netherlands.
Tessier, A., Campbell. P. G. C., and Bisson, M (1997) Sequential Extraction Procedure for the Speciation of Particulate Trace Metals: Analytical chemistry, 51: 844-851.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (1987) Soil mechanics level 1, module 3. USDA textural classification study guide. Washington, DC: National Employee Development Staff, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
USEPA (2004) Test methods for evaluating solid waste. In: Method 9045D, Washington, D.C.
Vural, A (2015) Contamination assessment of heavy metals associated with an alteration area: Demirören Gumushane, NE Turkey. Journal Geological Society of India, 86: 215-222.
Yoon, J., Cao, X., Zhou, Q., Ma, L. Q (2006) Accumulation of Pb, Cu, and  Zn in native plants growing on a contaminated  Florida site: Science of the Total Environment, 368: 456-664.
Zhen, H. A. O., Dong-Mei, Z. H. O., Dan-Dan, L. I., and Jiang, P (2012) Growth, cadmium and zinc accumulation of ornamental sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in contaminated soil with different amendments: Pedosphere, 22: 631-639