Analysis of Heavy Metal Content Characteristics in Topsoil of Wasteland in the Industrial and Mining Areas of Shenmu, Shaanxi Province, China

To assess the environmental quality of the topsoil (0-20 cm) in an industrial and mining wasteland lacated in a town in northern Shaanxi Province, Shenmu City, over 60 soil samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of heavy metals, including chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb).The degree of heavy metal contamination in the land was assessed using the Land Accumulative Index (LAI) and the Potential Ecological Hazard Index (PERI) methods.The correlation between the heavy metals was also analyzed.The study revealed that the mean levels of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in the topsoil (0-20 cm) of industrial and mining waste areas were 42.6, 19.7, 19.7, 47.7, 8.6, 0.10, and 21.3 mg/kg, respectively.These levels were found to be lower than the screening values for soil pollution risk on agricultural land.The topsoil in the study area exhibited no enrichment in Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and As, with pollution levels limited to mild for these elements.However, Pb exhibited mild pollution levels.Cd posed the risk of potential ecological hazards ranging from mild to very strong in some sample sites, yet the combined potential ecological risks were deemed small.Additionally, there were highly significant positive correlations (p<0.01) between the levels of Cr and Ni and Cu and Zn, while As exhibited significant homology.