Distribution and mobilization of heavy metals at an acid mine drainage-affected region, South China

Abstract: Dabaoshan Mine Site (DMS) is the biggest polymetallic mine in South China. The Hengshi River receives acid mine drain (AMD) waste leaching from the tailings pond and run-off from the treatment plant which flows into the Wengjiang River, Beijiang River, before discharging into the Pearl River. Discharge from the mine site results in heavy metal contamination  near the mine and lower riparian areas along the river course. The present study focuses on the distribution and mobilization of As, Cd, Pb and Zn along the Hengshi River, groundwater, fluvial sediments and soil, with a special focus on As due to its high toxicity and the fact that mining is one of the main anthropogenic sources of As. Heavy metals, grain-size, XRD, %C and S analysis were done in order to determine the physicochemical characteristics of samples. The results were used for geochemical modeling (PHREEQ) and statistical (PCA) analysis to understand and predict the behavior of heavy metals. Potential ecological risk assessment was conducted by calculating contamination degree of heavy metals in soil and sediment and it’s theoretical toxical risk. Near the tailings pond, heavy metal concentration was 2-100 times higher than chinese surface water standard for agricultural use, which decreases downstream, mianly due to dilution, sorption, precipitation and co-precipitation with minerals. In groundwater, heavy metals concentration remained low. Due to the fact that most wells were abandoned or only for household use, potential risk from groundwater is low. The soils were disturbed by industrial or agricultural activities, and heavy metal concentration varied without showing any specific trend along the river. The potential ecological risk of heavy metals are ranked as: Cd>As>Cu>Pb>Zn in sediments; Cd>Cu>Pb>As>Zn in soil. As(Ⅲ) was the predominant species in surface water, and minerals identified in soil and sediment. Arsenic from most sites exceeded the Chinese soil standard for development land. Although arsenic was assumed to have a moderate ecological risk in sediments and low risk in soils, anthropogenic activities, such as land use change and untreated sewage discharge, might reduce and release arsenic into the environment, which poses potential risk to local residents.