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Xikuangshan antimony mine in Lengshuijiang, China, has been developed for many years, and stormwater runoff contains high levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The aims were to find the sources of PTEs by statistical analysis and local spatial distribution of industrial activity and simulate transport process of PTEs in the soil to evaluate pollution extent and health risk. The PTEs in this study were antimony, cadmium, zinc, nickel, lead, and copper. The result showed antimony and a minor portion of zinc were derived from the antimony processing activities, copper derived from agricultural activities, and most of the zinc came from the zinc industry. Nickel, lead, and cadmium came from a mixed source of atmospheric transportation, vehicle transport, and other local industrial activities. Besides, antimony was the most hazardous element in this mining area. In the fourth year, the groundwater in the whole area was uncontaminated by antimony, and there was no non-carcinogenic health risk. Except for the southern area of Lianxi River and the area enclosed by South mine, Zhumushan village, and Tailing Dam, there was a non-carcinogenic risk at year 5.4. These sources of PTEs found in the stormwater runoff are useful for locals to control of PTEs pollution. And the health risk assessment method helps evaluate the risk of PTEs caused by stormwater runoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The rhizosphere soil and crops in the Loushao Basin are rich in potential toxic heavy metal elements. • A comprehensive study on the pollution characteristics of non rhizosphere soil rhizosphere soil and crops. • Evaluate pollution through distribution autocorrelation, characteristics, and ecological risk indicators of pollution. • Health risk assessment by comparing the likelihood of carcinogenesis between adults and children. The LouShao Basin in Hunan Province is covered with two sets of black rock series containing various potential toxic heavy metal elements. The rock series are rich in various potential toxic heavy metal elements, and the weathered black shale is the main formation of local farmland soil, making it a typical area with high geological background in China. The purpose of this study is to assess the regional ecological and health risks by studying the correlation between the content of heavy metal elements enriched in rhizosphere soil, non-rhizosphere soil, and crops, and the concentration of heavy metal elements in the main source, black shale rocks. The results show that the elements in the black shale far exceed the world average of rock, severely affecting soil element concentrations. Se element is the most severely polluted in rhizosphere soil, exceeding the background value by 7 times. The concentration of heavy metals between rock-non-rhizosphere soil-rhizosphere soil-crops decreases linearly. The distribution of pollution has strong spatial autocorrelation, and the high geological background is the main reason. Pollution index results show significant pollution of Se, Cr, Hg, and Cd in crops, with the pollution of heavy metal element Cr in corn being extremely serious with Igeo = 6.71. The ecological risk order is Se > Cd > Cr > As > Pb > Hg. Humans mainly contact elements through skin contact and food chain intake. The HI value of heavy metal element Cd is greater than 1, indicating a high carcinogenic risk. Human exposure to Cd through skin contact and food chain intake may lead to related diseases such as kidney stones, and pose greater harm to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Linking the chain transfer of toxicological elements between rock-soil-food. • Food chain risk under the high geologic background of the black rock system. • Joint integrated spatial evaluation validation method. • Unusual enrichment of potentially toxic elements in food and health risks. Enrichment of toxicological elements in soils of high geologic background has a significant effect on toxicity. The aim of this study was to assess the health risks associated with the transfer of toxicological elements in the food chain in a typical high geologic background. We systematically collected data on rocks, soils and food crops belonging to a typical black rock system geological body and at the same time belonging to the main grain-producing areas in Hunan Province, and analyzed the exposure and health threat of toxicological elements Cr, Cd, Pb, Hg, As and Se in cucumber, rape, soybean, peanut and ginger. Based on the JISEVM method to establish the spatial contamination constitutive relationship between rock-soil-food, we deduced the conclusions from the bioconcentration factor (BCF), integrated crop contamination index (P) and hazard index (HI). Our results showed that Cr, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Se were exceeded in agricultural soils, with Hg and Se levels severely exceeding the standard Se was most bioconcentrated in soybean (BCF = 0.5855), followed by Cd (BCF = 0.5603) and Se (BCF = 0.3800) in peanut and Se (BCF = 0.4255) in rape, and the BCFs of all the BCF of crops were less than 1, and the enrichment of these six elements in the food chain did not reach a dangerous level; the overall spatial distribution of radioactive contamination was centered on the black rocky geologic body; and the contamination and absorption levels of foods in the study area were: leafy vegetables (oilseed rape) > legumes (soybeans and peanuts) > stem vegetables (ginger) > fruit vegetables (cucumber). The intake of Cd and Se through consumption of oilseed rape was the most important source of health risk among foods in the study area. This study, since it can fill the gap in risk assessment due to endogenous factors in a high geologic background, can also guide studies in other specialized contexts or in a multi-media background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Surface soil in antimony mining villages contains harmful heavy metal elements. • Study in depth the toxicity, source, spatial distribution, and environmental safety. • Apply key technologies such as geostatistics, ANOVA, and GIS. • The high quality and sustainable development of the surface ecology of villages. Potential toxic heavy metal elements in the topsoil of villages in antimony mining areas pose a serious threat to residents' health, and scientific analysis of potential toxic heavy metal element contamination in the topsoil of villages in antimony mining areas and environmental safety is especially important for residents' health and the high quality of sustainable development in the mining areas. In this study, we chose Qilijiang Village in the Lengshuijiang Tin Mine in Hunan Province and used field sampling and indoor experiments to investigate the toxic heavy metal pollution and environmental safety of the topsoil using key technologies such as geomatics mathematical analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), GIS, and environmental risk assessment modeling.The average contents of potential Pb, Cr, As, Cd, and Sb in the topsoil of the residential area exceeded the standard values by 1.12, 1.00, 15.82, 13.37, and 38.87 times, respectively; the degree of contamination risk was As > Sb > Cr > Pb > Cd in the order of As > Sb > Cr > Pb > Cd; and the high-loading elements were As and Sb with a high degree of homology. The results of spatial and principal component analysis revealed that the potential Pb, Cr, As, Cd, and Sb in the surface soil of the residential area were influenced by discrete sources such as mining, processing, and other industrial and mining activities, as well as dust deposition and residents' domestic drainage water (As and Sb); the natural geological backdrop and the metal products industry (Cr); lead-acid batteries, industrial activities, and gasoline additives (Pb); residents of the residential area, green space, and resident gardens; fertilizer application; and pesticide use (Cd). According to the results of the environmental safety analysis, Sb, As, and Cd are in the heavy pollution category, while Cr and Pb are in the low pollution category, and the ecological danger of metals is Cd (401.22) > Sb (388.70) > As (158.16) > Pb (5.58) > Cr (2.00).Cd and Sb have reached a very high degree of ecological risk; As is at a higher risk level; and Pb and Cr are at a lower or no risk level. Except for As and Sb (HI value > 1), the non-carcinogenic risk of village topsoil was insignificant, and Pb, Sb, and As in topsoil exhibited carcinogenic risk, with As exceeding the permissible level, and the carcinogenic risk of As in Qilijiang village was more serious than that of Sb. The study's findings are critical for implementing preventive steps to protect the ecosystem and assure long-term growth in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution in soils caused by mining and smelting has attracted worldwide attention for its potential health risks to residents. This paper studies the concentrations and accumulations of Sb and As in both soils and vegetables and the human health risks of Sb and As in vegetables from Xikuangshan (XKS) Sb mine, Hunan, China. Results showed that the soils were severely polluted by Sb and As; Sb and As have significant positive correlation. Sb and As concentrations in vegetables were quite different: Coriandrum sativum L. was the highest in Sb, Allium fistulosum L. was the highest in As, and Brassica pekinensis L. was the lowest in both Sb and As; Daucus carota L. and Coriandrum sativum L. showed advantage in accumulating Sb and As; Coriandrum sativum L. had higher capacity of redistributing Sb and As within the plant. Health risk assessment results showed that the hazard quotient (HQ) values of Sb and As in vegetables were in the ranges of 1.61–3.33 and 0.09–0.39, respectively; the chronic daily intake (CDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) values of Sb were over the safe limit recommended by FAO and WHO, indicating that long-term consumption of vegetables from the surrounding soils of XKS mine may bring health risks to residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]