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Minerals
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Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Mining Residues
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Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Mining Residues

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2022) | Viewed by 13938

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Antonio Fernandes

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Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal Rural University of the Amazon, Belém 66077-830, Brazil
Interests: fertility management aimed at soil recovery; evaluation of potentially toxic elements in the environment; reference values for metals and remediation of soils contaminated by metals from the use of plants, organic residues and biochar
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Silvio Junio Ramos

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Guest Editor
Vale Institute of Technology, Sustainable development, Belem 66055-090, Brazil
Interests: mineland rehabilitation; soil quality index; toxic elements; environmental and health risk assessment
Dr. Edna Santos de Souza

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Guest Editor
Instituto de Estudo do Xingu, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Para 68507-590, Brazil
Interests: artisanal mining; environmental pollution; human health risk; soil chemistry; heavy metals
Dr. Gabriel Caixeta Martins

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Vale Institute of Technology, Sustainable development, Belem 66055-090, Brazil
Interests: trace elements; soil contamination; soil amendments; phytotoxicity; bioassays; environmental risk assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue invites research and review articles on potentially toxic elements (PTEs), such as metals, nonmetals and rare earths, in natural (background and quality reference values), anthropized (beselines), and mining areas. The characterization and identification of contaminated areas is of fundamental importance, mainly due to the increasing occupation by the population, whether in abandoned urban, agricultural, mining, or industrial areas, in order to reduce health risks. In view of that, the editor and co-editors of this Special Issue invite authors to submit new quality research articles and reviews on PTEs in agricultural, urban, mining, and industrial areas, in recovery or recovered, with agricultural or forestry use in soils and mining tailings. Potential topics include but are not limited to background and quality reference values of PTEs; contamination by PTEs; spatial distribution of PTEs; remediation of PTE-affected sites; environmental and human health risks from PTE exposure; management and treatment of PTE-contaminated waste; and multivariate analysis and modeling of PTEs.

Prof. Dr. Antonio Fernandes
Dr. Silvio Junio Ramos
Dr. Edna Santos de Souza
Dr. Gabriel Caixeta Martins
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • background value
  • geochemical baseline
  • quality reference values
  • contamination
  • polluted site
  • pollution indices
  • monitoring
  • health risk assessment
  • environmental risk assessment
  • mine waste

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3377 KiB  
Article
Field Experiments of Phyto-Stabilization, Biochar-Stabilization, and Their Coupled Stabilization of Soil Heavy Metal Contamination around a Copper Mine Tailing Site, Inner Mongolia
by Hong Liu, Yanguo Teng, Nengzhan Zheng, Linmei Liu, Weifeng Yue, Yuanzheng Zhai and Jie Yang
Minerals 2022, 12(6), 702; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12060702 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2026
Abstract
A field trial was conducted in Inner Mongolia to evaluate the stabilization effects of phyto-stabilization, biochar-stabilization, and their coupled stabilization for As, Cu, Pb, and Zn in soil. Stabilization plants (Achnatherum splendens, Puccinellia chinampoensis, and Chinese small iris) and biochar [...] Read more.
A field trial was conducted in Inner Mongolia to evaluate the stabilization effects of phyto-stabilization, biochar-stabilization, and their coupled stabilization for As, Cu, Pb, and Zn in soil. Stabilization plants (Achnatherum splendens, Puccinellia chinampoensis, and Chinese small iris) and biochar (wood charcoals and chelator-modified biochar) were introduced in the field trial. The acid-extractable fraction and residual fraction of the elements were extracted following a three-stage modified procedure to assess the stabilization effect. The results after 60 days showed that the coupled stabilization produced a better stabilization effect than biochar-/phyto- stabilization alone. Achnatherum splendens and Puccinellia chinampoensis were found to activate the target elements: the residual fraction proportion of As, Cu, Pb, and Zn decreased while the acid-extractable fraction proportion of Cu and Zn increased in the corresponding planting area. Neither type of biochar produced a notable stabilization effect. The residual fraction proportion of As (20.8–84.0%, 29.2–82%), Pb (31.6–39.3%, 32.1–48.9%), and Zn (30.0–36.2%, 30.1–41.4%) increased, while the acid-extractable fraction proportion remained nearly unchanged after treatment using Chinese small iris-straw biochar or Achnatherum splendens-straw biochar, respectively. The results indicate that phyto-stabilization or biochar-stabilization alone are not suitable, whereas the coupled stabilization approach is a more efficient choice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Mining Residues)
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12 pages, 1060 KiB  
Article
Geochemical Background for Potentially Toxic Elements in Forested Soils of the State of Pará, Brazilian Amazon
by Deyvison Andrey Medrado Gonçalves, Wendel Valter da Silveira Pereira, Karen H. Johannesson, Daniel Vidal Pérez, Luiz Roberto Guimarães Guilherme and Antonio Rodrigues Fernandes
Minerals 2022, 12(6), 674; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12060674 - 27 May 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2905
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to establish geochemical background values of aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) for eastern Amazon soils [...] Read more.
The objectives of this study were to establish geochemical background values of aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) for eastern Amazon soils and to assess the relationship between soil chemical and granulometric attributes using univariate and multivariate procedures. Samples from the topsoil (0–0.2 m) were collected in several areas with minimal or no human intervention. Pseudo total concentrations of potentially toxic elements were extracted via acid digestion and quantified via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results revealed that the soils present high acidity, low levels of cations and organic carbon, and highly heterogeneous geomorphological characteristics. The elements Fe (9300 mg kg−1) and Al (8200 mg kg−1) showed the highest mean concentrations in the study, while As (0.8 mg kg−1) and Cd (0.1 mg kg−1) presented the lowest levels. The results of this study indicate that the 90th percentile can be used to formalize quality reference values for the State of Pará and that the 98th percentile can be considered for areas rich in mineral deposits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Mining Residues)
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29 pages, 3088 KiB  
Article
Physiological Aspects of Absorption, Translocation, and Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Silphium perfoliatum L. Plants Grown in a Mining-Contaminated Soil
by Vlad Nescu, Sorin Ciulca, Renata Maria Sumalan, Adina Berbecea, Giancarla Velicevici, Petru Negrea, Sorin Gaspar and Radu Liviu Sumalan
Minerals 2022, 12(3), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12030334 - 8 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3387
Abstract
Soil pollution by heavy metals as a result of mining activities is increasingly taking place. Once accumulated in soil, the heavy metals can then be dispersed, with serious effects on the environment and human health. It is therefore necessary to minimize, or even [...] Read more.
Soil pollution by heavy metals as a result of mining activities is increasingly taking place. Once accumulated in soil, the heavy metals can then be dispersed, with serious effects on the environment and human health. It is therefore necessary to minimize, or even remove, all heavy metals from polluted areas, and one of the environmentally friendly and sustainable methods to do so is phytoremediation. A greenhouse pots experiment was conducted to evaluate the phytoremediation capacity of Silphium perfoliatum L. plants, in the vegetative growth stages, on a soil polluted with Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb, taken from a former mining area compared to an unpolluted soil (Us). The initial heavy metal content of polluted soil (Ps) was 208.3 mg kg−1 Cu; 312.5 mg kg−1 Zn; 186.5 mg kg−1 Cr and 195.2 mg kg−1 Pb. This shows that for Cu and Pb, soil concentrations exceed the intervention threshold, and for Zn and Cr, they are above the alert threshold. The removal efficiency, bioaccumulation factor, translocation factor, metal uptake and contamination factor index of Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb by S. perfoliatum L. were quantified to determine the bioremediation success. The data show that plants grown in Ps accumulated a significantly higher amount of Cu by 189% and Zn by 37.95% compared to Us. The Cr and Pb content of the plants recorded a progressive and significant increase from one developmental stage to another, being more intense between three and five leaves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Mining Residues)
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20 pages, 1637 KiB  
Article
Phytoremediator Potential of Ipomea asarifolia in Gold Mine Waste Treated with Iron Impregnated Biochar
by Hercília Samara Cardoso Costa, Edna Santos de Souza, Yan Nunes Dias, Leônidas Carrijo Azevedo Melo and Antonio Rodrigues Fernandes
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020150 - 26 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2685
Abstract
Growing environmental pollution in recent decades has been generating potentially toxic elements (PTE) which pose an ongoing threat to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and human health, especially in mining areas. Biochar and PTE-tolerant species have been used in soil remediation as they are [...] Read more.
Growing environmental pollution in recent decades has been generating potentially toxic elements (PTE) which pose an ongoing threat to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and human health, especially in mining areas. Biochar and PTE-tolerant species have been used in soil remediation as they are environmentally friendly alternatives. This study aimed to assess the influence of açaí seed biochar (Euterpe oleracea Mart), impregnated with iron (BFe) or not (BC), on the bioavailability of PTEs, in a multi-contaminated soil from a gold (Au) mining area in the Amazon, using Ipomea asarifolia as a plant test since it was naturally growing on the tailings. BC increased the soil pH while BFe reduced. Biochars increased PTEs in the oxidizable fraction (linked to soil organic matter). The use of BC and BFe improved the immobilization of PTEs and BC increased arsenic (As) in the easily soluble fraction in the soil. Moreover, plants grown with biochars showed lower dry matter yield, higher concentrations of PTEs and lower nutrient content than the control treatment. According to the phytoextraction and translocation factors, Ipomea asarifolia can be classified as a species with potential for phytostabilization of Zn and tolerant to other PTEs, mainly As. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Mining Residues)
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17 pages, 5088 KiB  
Article
Heavy Metal Content in the Plants (Pleurozium schreberi and Picea abies) of Environmentally Important Protected Areas of the Tatra National Park (the Central Western Carpathians, Poland)
by Joanna Korzeniowska, Paweł Krąż and Sławomir Dorocki
Minerals 2021, 11(11), 1231; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11111231 - 6 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1960
Abstract
This work concerns the content of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn), and determines the effect of absolute altitude on the content of metals in the plants of the Tatra National Park (TNP). The metals were determined in two [...] Read more.
This work concerns the content of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn), and determines the effect of absolute altitude on the content of metals in the plants of the Tatra National Park (TNP). The metals were determined in two species of plants, i.e., in the moss (Pleurozium schreberi (Willd.) Mitten) and in the Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst). Plant samples were collected in two test areas every 100 m of the altitude of the area, starting from 1000 m above sea level in the Lake Morskie Oko test area and from 1100 m above sea level in the Kasprowy Wierch test area, and ending at 1400 m above sea level for Lake Morskie Oko, and 1750 m above sea level (the moss) and 1550 m above sea level (the spruce) for Kasprowy Wierch. The two test areas are different from each other in terms of natural and physico-geographical conditions (geological structure, landform, climatic conditions). The conducted research showed that both plant species accumulated greater amounts of heavy metals in the Lake Morskie Oko test area than in the Kasprowy Wierch test area. The moss accumulated higher values of metals compared to the spruce. In both the moss and the spruce, the highest values, exceeding the natural content, were found for Cr, Pb, Cd, and Ni. For these metals, natural values were significantly exceeded: 20 times for Cr; 10 times for Pb; 4 times for Cd; and 3 times for Ni. For both examined areas, an increase in the quantity of accumulated metals in plants was also observed with the increase in altitude. The work focuses on the spreading around of heavy metals and their deposition on plants in protected high mountain (alpine) areas, in connection with altitude. Based on the obtained research results, Spearman’s and Kendall’s rank correlations were performed, and showed statistically significant relationships between the values for the content of metals and altitude. There are no heavy metal emission sources in the study area, so it is assumed that the metal content in the plants of the TNP is affected by long-range emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Mining Residues)
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