INVESTIGATION OF LEAD AND CADMIUM CONTAMINATION IN MINE SOIL AND METAL ACCUMULATION IN SELECTED PLANTS GROWING IN A GOLD MINING AREA

To fully understand and evaluate the impact of lead and cadmium on the surrounding soil pollution in tailings from gold ore dressings, 36 soil samples were collected at different depths near an abandoned concentrating mill in a gold mining area. By examining the lead and cadmium contents in the soil samples, the degree of lead and cadmium pollution over the soil profile was analyzed at different sampling points. Meanwhile, 12 typical plant samples, including Bulrush (Phragmites communis ( Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.), Capillary Wormwood (Artemisia capillaris), Heteropappusaltaicus (Artemisia gmelinii) and Stipa ( Stipa capillata Linn.) were collected at the soil sampling point. The lead and cadmium contents were determined in the aboveground and belowground organs, and the enrichment and transfer coefficients of each plant sample were calculated. The results showed that both lead and cadmium were moderately polluted within 0-10 m of the tailing dump. The lead and cadmium contents over the depth profile of 0-30 cm were higher at depths of 0-10 cm and 20-30 cm than at 10-20 cm. Heteropappusaltaicus showed more significant enrichment and transfer effects and large coverage and can thus be used as the phytoremediation material for the remediation of Cd- and Pb-polluted soil around tailing slag.