Leaching of heavy metals from lead-zinc mine tailings and the subsequent migration and transformation characteristics in paddy soil

The leaching of heavy metals (HMs) from lead-zinc mine tailings caused by natural precipitation and the sub-sequent migration and transformation characteristics in paddy soil were investigated using simulative experi-ments. The contents of HMs in the leachate from lead-zinc mine tailings increased with the increasing of liquid-to-solid ratio. Significant differences of contents under the same rainfall were found among different HMs (P < 0.01). The increasing rates of the concentrations for Mn and Zn in leachate were much higher than the other selected HMs. The leaching results of all HMs were well fitted by the DoseResp equation, indicating that the leaching processes are controlled by multiple factors. When the paddy soil was exposed to lead-zinc mine tail-ings, the HMs could accumulate significantly in the paddy soil, and their contents increased with the simulated time. The average vertical migration rates (mg kg(-1) cm(-1) d(-1)) of HMs in the paddy soil during the four months was ranked in the order of Zn (9.0x10(-2)) Mn (8.1x10(-2)) > Cu (1.8x10(-2)) > Pb (1.6x10(-2)) > Cd (2.7x10(-4)) > As (2.4x10(-4)). Compared with the other HMs, Mn and Zn can be more easily leached from lead-zinc mine tailings, then migrate into deeper layers in paddy soil. The proportions in five chemical fractions of HMs varied significantly with the impact of lead-zinc mine tailings. The Zn, Cu, and As were mainly presented in residual fraction, while Pb, Mn, and Cd were mainly presented in carbonate-bound, Fe/Mn oxides-bound, and exchangeable fractions, respectively. The risk assessment code results showed that Zn, Mn, Cu, and As posed medium risk, while Pb and Cd posed an extremely high risk to the paddy soil environment. It's found that lead-zinc mine tailings could significantly enhance the ecological risk associated with HMs in the paddy soil.

Automated summary

This study investigated the leaching of heavy metals (HMs) from lead-zinc mine tailings and its subsequent effects on paddy soil. The results showed that the concentrations of HMs in the leachate increased with the liquid-to-solid ratio, with Mn and Zn showing the highest increasing rates. When paddy soil was exposed to lead-zinc mine tailings, the HMs accumulated significantly and their contents increased over time. The vertical migration rates of HMs in the paddy soil varied, with Zn and Mn being more easily leached and migrated into deeper layers. The distribution of HMs in different chemical fractions also varied.