Health risk assessment of heavy metals in coal mine soils of Northwest China
Li Y. Zhuang Z. Xia Q. Shi Q. Zhu J. Wang P. Li D. Zhakypbek Y. Tursbekov S.
July 2025Science Press
Journal of Arid Land
2025#17Issue 7933 - 957 pp.
Coal mining predisposes soils to heavy metal (HM) accumulation, which adversely affects the ecological environment and human health, particularly in extremely arid and vulnerable areas. In this study, soil samples were gathered from the Black Mountain Open Pit Coal Mine in Turpan City, Northwest China to determine the health risk of heavy metals (HMs). Results showed that positive matrix factorization model divided the sources of soil HMs into four categories, i.e., natural and animal husbandry (43.46%), industrial transportation (22.87%), fossil fuel combustion (10.64%), and atmospheric deposition and domestic pollution (23.03%). All kinds of pollution evaluation indices showed that Cd (cadmium) and Pb (plumbum) pollution was evident. The Monte Carlo simulated health risk assessment results showed that 4.00% non-carcinogenic risk and 12.00% carcinogenic risk were posed to children, and the positive matrix factorization-based health risk assessment showed that fossil fuel combustion had the highest contribution to the health risks to adults and children, while industrial transportation was the lowest. In this study, the risks of HMs in the soil of mining area were analyzed using source analysis, which not only provides reliable data support for the prevention and control of HM pollution in the soil of this arid mining area, but also provides a theoretical basis for subsequent regional research.
arid area , health risk assessment , Monte Carlo simulation , positive matrix factorization , soil heavy metals
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College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Ministry of Education (Xinjiang University), Urumqi, 830046, China
College of Resources and Environment Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
Xinjiang Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
Department of Mine Surveying and Geodesy, Institute Mining and Metallurgical Institute named after O.A. Baikonurov, Satbayev University, Almaty, 050013, Kazakhstan
College of Ecology and Environment
Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology
College of Resources and Environment Sciences
Xinjiang Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences
Department of Mine Surveying and Geodesy
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