Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil in Zhuzhou Smelting

Abstract

To date, environmental issues become increasingly prominent, especially heavy metal (Pb and Zn) pollution of soil. This paper describes the procedure of detecting heavy metal content in soil from Zhuzhou Smelting in order to understand the contamination degree of heavy metals. An extensive soil survey was conducted in the plant include lead and zinc major production areas. Microwave digestion and ICP-AES technology were used to test metal content in soil. The results revealed that the soil in the area had been polluted by Pb and Zn, however, the pollution degree of each type of metals was not identical. In general, the Smelting was slightly polluted by heavy metals, with the highest concentration being in the Zinc sulfide plant. The heavy metal content in deep soil was a little bit higher than surface except for the Zinc sulfide plant. The reason may related to its particular location.