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Distribution characteristics, risk assessment, and relevance with surrounding soil of heavy metals in coking solid wastes from coking plants in Shanxi, China

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Abstract

Heavy metal concentrations represent important pollution evaluation indices, and it is necessary to assess the potential environmental and health risks from heavy metals associated with coking wastes from coking plants. In this study, coking sludge (CS), tar residue (TR), coke powder (CP), and sulfur paste (SP) from three coking plants (Plant A, Plant B, and Plant C) in central, western, and southern Shanxi Province and from soils surrounding Plant A were selected as the research objects, and the distributions of Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, and Cr were determined. The results showed that Cd in the four solid wastes far exceeded the soil background value by a factor of 16~195, and the contents of Pb in TR (three plants) and CS (Plant C) exceeded the soil background values 19.70-, 23.57-, 14.46-, and 12.56-fold, respectively. Similarly, the concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Cd in soils were higher than the background values by factors of 31.18, 8.35, 34.79, 29.48, and 3.43, respectively. In addition, the Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cr in the four solid wastes and soils mainly existed in the residual state. As depth increased, the overall Ni, Pb, Mn, and Cd concentrations in soils increased. The high ecological risks associated with the four solid wastes were mainly due to the enrichment of Cd. Workers in coking plants face certain Cr health risks. This study provides theoretical support for the coking industry with respect to the treatment, disposal, and management of solid wastes.

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Funding

This research was supported by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China (Major Science and Technology Program, No. 2019YFC0408601 and 2019YFC0408602); the Fundamental Research Program of Shanxi Province, China (No. 202103021224064); and the Key R&D Plan of Shanxi Province, China (No. 201903D321073).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanxi Academy of Eco-Environmental Planning and Technology, 24 Beixiaoqiang Road, Taiyuan, 030009, China

    Sufang Wang, Jian Zeng, Peirui Li, Longsheng Gao, Xiaojiao Li & Jinhong Luo

  2. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China

    Sufang Wang, Cuicui Wang, Aijuan Zhou, Xin Kong, Xiaojiao Li & Xiuping Yue

  3. Municipal and Environmental Institute, China Railway Shanghai Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200040, China

    Peirui Li

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  1. Sufang Wang
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. The first draft of the manuscript and the drawing of charts were written by SW, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. The experimental operation, data sorting, and sample collection were completed by JZ and PL. The data curation and resources were performed by CW and AZ. The investigation was completed by LG and XK. The writing—review and editing was completed by XL. The writing guidance, modification, and fund acquisition of the paper were completed by the corresponding author, JL, and supervised and managed by Professor XY. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jinhong Luo.

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Wang, S., Zeng, J., Li, P. et al. Distribution characteristics, risk assessment, and relevance with surrounding soil of heavy metals in coking solid wastes from coking plants in Shanxi, China. Environ Monit Assess 195, 1399 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11938-8

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