ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF HEAVY METALS IN ABANDONED LAND OF COPPER MINE IN SHANGRAO, JIANGXI, CHINA

Selected heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cd) and their physicochemical properties were examined in 50 soil samples from an abandoned area of the Shangrao copper mine, Jiangxi, China. The cumulative index and potential ecological risk (PER) assessment methods were used to assess the spatial distributions and risk status of heavy metal pollution in this area. The average concentration of heavy metals in the mining area was highest for Cu and lowest for Cd at 442.8 and 1.6 mg kg(-1), respectively. Correlation analysis showed that Cu and Cd, Zn, Pb and Zn were homologous. The cumulative index evaluation showed that the degree of pollution from the five heavy metals decreased as follows: Cu > Cd > Pb > Zn > Cr. Of these, Cu had an average cumulative index of 3.32, representing the partial gravity pollution. The PER of heavy metals in soil decreased in the order Cu > Pb > Cr > Cd > Zn. Of the 50 total study points, 4% showed a severe ecological risk of heavy metal pollution, and the highest risk index was 366.6. Moreover, 50% of the study points showed a moderate ecological risk, indicating serious ecological hazard in the abandoned mine area.