Assessment of restoration effect and ecological risk in a coal mine area in Jiangxi Province
To investigate the effectiveness of ecological restoration projects in controlling the sources of soil pollution,a pollution assessment and ecological risk evaluation of Cd in the surrounding environment of the mining area were conducted.This study systematically investigated the environmental quality of coal gangue,newly covered soil in the mining area,agricultural soil,irrigation water,and sediment in a mining area in Jiangxi.Cd in the samples was analyzed and tested,using Moran′s I,geo-accumulation index,and ecological risk index to evaluate the source-sink relationship,pollution level,and ecological risk of Cd in the mining area and its surrounding surface environment.The results indicate that the soil surrounding the mining area is influenced by multiple factors,including coal gangue,newly covered soil in the mining area,and local natural background.The Cd content(0.33 mg·kg-1)falls between that of coal gangue and newly covered soil,pollution level(Igeo:-2.03 to 0.37)ranging from slightly polluted to moderately polluted,ecological risk(Er:11 to 58)ranging from low to moderate.The study demonstrates that the soil restoration project in the mining area is significantly effective.The Cd content,pollution level,and risk level in the surrounding agricultural soil are all significantly reduced compared to coal gangue.However,during land development and utilization,attention must be paid to the issue of soil acidification,and measures should be taken promptly to avoid the release of large amounts of heavy metals due to acidification.