Copper contamination of soils and vegetables in the vicinity of Jiuhuashan copper mine,China

Copper contamination in soils and vegetables in the vicinity of an abandoned copper mine in China was investigated. The Cu concentrations of 93 soil samples ranged from 30.4 to 3,191 mg kg⁻¹ soil for a mean of 816.8 mg kg⁻¹ soil. Among 15 samples from a 0 to 20-cm soil layer used for the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test, the highest value of Cu-TCLP was 133.8 mg kg⁻¹ soil and the TCLP values were positively correlated with the total Cu content of the soils. The sequential extraction of soils in the 0–20-, 20–40-, and 40–60-cm soil layers showed that Cu existed mainly in the Fe–Mn oxide fraction, sulfide/organic fraction, and residual fraction. The copper contamination of 21 species of vegetables from in situ sampling was also examined. Cu concentrations in the edible portions of Brassica chinensis and Solanum melongena were higher than the FAO/WHO standard (40 mg kg⁻¹ DW). The health risk of copper for local inhabitants from consuming these vegetables was assessed on the basis of the target hazard quotient. Enriched concentrations of copper were also found in situ in eight cultivars of B. chinensis planted in the fields, with two levels of Cu concentration. The results showed that there is severe copper contamination in this mine area, and the pollutant in soils show a high risk of leaching into the groundwater and diffusing through the food chain.