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Characteristics of Sediment Heavy Metal Levels in Lead-zinc Ore Cho Don District Area, Bac Kan Province, Vietnam

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Abstract

Vietnam is a country with diverse and abundant mineral resources with nearly 5000 mines and ore spots of about 60 different minerals. Mining and processing of mineral resources have contributed about 9.6–10.6% of the country’s GDP since the year of 2000. However, the exploitation and processing of mineral resources have been leading to a certain soil and sediment contamination by heavy metals. Soil and sediment samples around lead-zince mines have been collected and analyzed for Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Ni in Cho Don district, Bac Kan province, Vietnam. Single pollution, geoaccumulation and enrichment indices have been used for assessing the sediment quality in terms of heavy metals by comparison with threshold and ecological risk limits. High concentration of Cu and Zn in the sediment is due to extremely high content of the two metals in the ore-surrounding soil in the lead-zinc mines, i.e. high background values. High concentration of As and Cd in the sediment is affected in a greater extent by high content of the two metals in the ore-surrounding soil in the lead-zinc mines, and in a lesser extent by contamination due to geoaccumulation and enrichment. High Pb concentration in sediment is affected in a greater extent by high content of the metal in the ore-surrounding soil in the lead-zinc mines, and in a lesser extent by contamination due to geoaccumulation and enrichment. The pollution sequence based on an average single pollution index is Pb(125.76) > As(55.48) > Zn(26.82 > Cd(14.17) > Cu(5.08) > Ni(1.36) > Hg(0.42), while based on the average geoaccumulation index, the sediment is mostly uncontaminated with the sequence Cd(1.1) > As(0.7) > Cu, Zn, Hg, Pb, Ni(<0). However, a significant to an extremely enrichment of some metals is observed with the following sequence based on the average enrichment factor Cd(4.8) = As(4.8) > Hg(4.1) > Pb(1.4) > Cu(0.9) > Ni(0.6). The results highlight the need for a comprehensive and detailed study program on heavy metal content in different soil and sediment resources to identify the magnitude and details of the problem associated with heavy metal contamination for development of a remediation plan and more effective pollution preventing measures including technology develop for recovering of useful components.

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Funding

This paper has been completed within the implementation of research project KC.08.23/16-20 financed by Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam and with a partial support of the Grant of the FEB RAS—VAST 20-BAHT-010; VAST no. QTRU 02.02/20-21, Grant of the FEB RAS—VAST 21-ВАНТ-017 (QTRU02.02/21-22) and also with financial support of the grant RFBR 20-35-70014 Stability, “Interrelation of geosogeochemical fields, tectonics, geodynamic situation and oil and gas bearing potential, which determine geologic and hydrocarbon potential of the North Vietnam”, registration number АААА-А19-119112890007-1. The research was carried out as part of the governmental program of scientific research works 0211-2021-0012 and 0211-2021-0006. In the frame of the VAST—FEB RAS “Road Map” for joint marine researches, IGS VAST, IMGG VAST and POI FEB RAS implementing study of the heavy metal behavior in the sediments of the Vietnam shelf to compare onshore and offshore data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geological Sciences—VAST, Ha Noi, Vietnam

    Nguyen Van Hoang

  2. V.I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, 690041, Vladivostok, Russia

    R. B. Shakirov, N. S. Syrbu & A. I. Eskova

  3. Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics—VAST, Ha Noi, Vietnam

    Trinh Hoai Thu

  4. Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia

    R. B. Shakirov

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  1. Nguyen Van Hoang
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  2. R. B. Shakirov
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Correspondence to Nguyen Van Hoang, R. B. Shakirov, Trinh Hoai Thu or N. S. Syrbu.

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Nguyen Van Hoang, Shakirov, R.B., Thu, T.H. et al. Characteristics of Sediment Heavy Metal Levels in Lead-zinc Ore Cho Don District Area, Bac Kan Province, Vietnam. Lithol Miner Resour 56, 278–292 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0024490221030020

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