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.