To study the effects of metal mineralization and mine operation on surrounding ecological environment and human health, 69 farmland soil samples of study area were collected, tested with seven heavy metals and analyzed with environmental risk assessment, spatial distribution, and source identification. The Igeo values of Cu and Pb indicated light-moderate pollution level and Co belonged to moderate pollution level. The EF values of Co represented moderately severe enrichment level, and Cu and Pb belonged to moderate enrichment level. The Er i values were in decreasing order of Co>Cu>Pb>Cr>Zn>Mn>Fe, moreover both Er i and RI values of seven heavy metals were at low ecological risk level. The spatial distribution of Fe, Zn, Cr and Mn showed a trend “high in northwest and low in southeast”, and Co and Cu were similar with the characteristics “the closer to Chating copper ore, the higher the value”, and points with higher content for Pb were distributed along the roads beside Gucheng Lake and irrigation canal. Pearson correlation analysis (CA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HACA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were adopted to gradually identified the characteristics, interactions, classifications and possible sources. PC1 was explained by Fe, Cr, Mn and Zn and might be the natural source influenced by the crust and soil parent material; PC2 was dominated by Pb and Zn and might be derived from transportation and mechanical operations; PC3 was loaded by Cu and might be greatly affected by copper mining activities.

The composition characteristics of altered coals in the Huaibei Coalfield, China, was investigated through a comparative analysis between altered and unaffected coals from the Wolonghu, Taoyuan and Renlou coal mines. Results indicated that the altered coals in Wolonghu coal mine are mostly anthracite coals, with a maximum vitrinite reflectance of 1.6–3.9% (average of 2.9%). Coals from Wolonghu coal mine were mainly consisted of vitrinite (66.2–97.0%), followed by inertinite (2.0–4.0%) and exinite (0.4–6.9%). Differences in volatile matter content were observed between the altered coals in Wolonghu coal mine and unaffected coals from neighboring coal mines, implying that the chemical composition and maturity of coals were changed after magmatic alteration. In addition, differences in hydrogen element were noted among the coals from Wolonghu, Renlou and Taoyuan coal mines, and the phenomenon of “deficient in hydrogen element” was observed in Wolonghu coals. The aliphatic hydrocarbon structure parameters suggested that the aliphatic chain lengths of Wolonghu coals are shorter than those of coal samples from the Renlou and Taoyuan coal mines. In addition, maturity is positively correlated with hydrogen enrichment degree, but negatively related with aliphatic hydrocarbon structure. Coals from Renlou and Taoyuan coal mines showed great weight loss with various heating rates at temperatures of 0–1000 °C, whereas those from Wolonghu coal mine had less weight loss.

In this study, we aimed to clarify the optical characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the surface water around the metal mine to be exploited and its relationship with heavy metals. In total 11 pond water samples and 21 river water samples were collected around the typical to be exploited metal mine in southern Anhui Province, China. The optical properties of DOM in surface water were studied using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed the intrinsic relationship among UV-Vis spectral parameters, fluorescent components, and heavy metals. The results showed that the DOM in the river had higher content, but its molecular weight was smaller than in the pond. EEM coupled with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) revealed humic-like components (C1 and C2) and protein-like components (C3), and the average content of each fluorescent component in the river was higher than that in the pond. However, except for As, the average content of other heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn) in ponds was more significant than in rivers. The co-occurrence network analysis result revealed that there might be different relationships between heavy metals and the DOM due to the various land use.

To investigate the impact of industrial activities on the environmental accumulation and the health risks to humans of heavy metals in urban soils, the cultivated soil samples around different industrial areas were collected and analyzed. The heavy metal concentrations in the soil samples were in the decreasing order Mn>Zn>Cr>Ni>Cu>Pb>As>Sn>Cd>Hg, and the average concentrations of all heavy metals exceeding the corresponding background values. In addition to Cd and Hg, all the other eight metals were classified as low ecological risk; Cd had low, moderate, and considerable ecological risk and Hg were in low, high, and very high ecological risk. The proportion of RI in the four ecological risk levels of low risk, moderate risk, considerable risk and high risk were 69.6%, 13%, 8.7% and 8.7%, respectively. All Mn and some Cr pose non-carcinogenic risk to children primarily through inhalation exposure. Carcinogenic risk is Cr>Ni>As>Pb>Cd, and the exposure route is mainly by ingestion. For children, Cr, Ni and As were high carcinogenic risk and Pb, Cd were acceptable carcinogenic risk; for adults, Cr and Ni were high risk, As was acceptable risk, and Pb and Cd were no risk. The results of the APCS-MLR receptor model showed that the percentages of vehicle emission sources, coal transport industrial sources, coal-fired power plant sources and natural sources were 27.8%, 25.2%, 8.7% and 38.3%, respectively.