Next Article in Journal
Objective Risk or Subjective Fear? A Probit–Hedonic–Welfare Analysis of NIMBY Externalities from Sanitation Facilities in Urban Suzhou, China
Previous Article in Journal
Rural Policy Evolution and SDG Alignment: A Comparative Study of Developed and Developing Countries
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Land
Volume 15
Issue 7
10.3390/land15071139
land-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

A Comparative Study on Pollution Assessment and Migration Paths of Slag Heaps from Coal Gangue and Pyrite in the Mountainous Areas of Southeast China

by
Zhitao Li
1,2,†,
Peizhe Sun
1,†,
Yongkui Yang
1,
Xinzhan Sun
2,3,*,
Zhiheng Qin
2,
Xuhuan Dai
2,
Bin Wang
2,
Yun Li
2,
Fei Fang
2 and
Guirong Yang
2,*
1
School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
2
Technical Centre for Soil, Agriculture and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China
3
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Land 2026, 15(7), 1139; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071139 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 12 May 2026 / Revised: 23 June 2026 / Accepted: 23 June 2026 / Published: 25 June 2026
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study focuses on the pollution assessment, potential ecological risks, influencing factors, and migration pathways of trace elements from slag heaps of coal gangue and pyrite to farmland in the mountainous areas of southeast China. Based on the pollution index and correlation analysis of trace elements, Cd, As, Pb, and Zn were identified as characteristic pollutants. In the solid waste, surrounding soil, and farmland soil, the mean concentrations of Cd, As, Pb, and Zn of pyrite slag heaps were generally 9.7–86.7 times higher than those of coal gangue dumps. In contrast, higher levels of As were found in coal gangue surrounding soil, while higher Cd and As concentrations existed in coal gangue-affected farmland soil. Mantel test results revealed significant statistical correlations between characteristic pollutants and environmental factors (geographic location, weather, and climate), particularly for pyrite slag heaps. The potential migration pathways from solid waste to the surroundings (soil and water) and then to farmland soil were finally revealed using partial least squares path modeling. This study demonstrated that the pyrite slag heaps were more heavily polluted than the coal gangue dumps. The pyrite slag heap was more susceptible to environmental factors, which could rapidly transfer trace elements to farmland soil via the surrounding soil and water. Therefore, this study offers a statistical framework to infer plausible trace element migration trends via multi-medium monitoring data. It also delivers comparative analytical references for risk assessment of two distinct types of slag heaps.
Keywords: slag heap; trace element; pollution assessment; environmental factor; potential migration pathway slag heap; trace element; pollution assessment; environmental factor; potential migration pathway

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Li, Z.; Sun, P.; Yang, Y.; Sun, X.; Qin, Z.; Dai, X.; Wang, B.; Li, Y.; Fang, F.; Yang, G. A Comparative Study on Pollution Assessment and Migration Paths of Slag Heaps from Coal Gangue and Pyrite in the Mountainous Areas of Southeast China. Land 2026, 15, 1139. https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071139

AMA Style

Li Z, Sun P, Yang Y, Sun X, Qin Z, Dai X, Wang B, Li Y, Fang F, Yang G. A Comparative Study on Pollution Assessment and Migration Paths of Slag Heaps from Coal Gangue and Pyrite in the Mountainous Areas of Southeast China. Land. 2026; 15(7):1139. https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071139

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Zhitao, Peizhe Sun, Yongkui Yang, Xinzhan Sun, Zhiheng Qin, Xuhuan Dai, Bin Wang, Yun Li, Fei Fang, and Guirong Yang. 2026. "A Comparative Study on Pollution Assessment and Migration Paths of Slag Heaps from Coal Gangue and Pyrite in the Mountainous Areas of Southeast China" Land 15, no. 7: 1139. https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071139

APA Style

Li, Z., Sun, P., Yang, Y., Sun, X., Qin, Z., Dai, X., Wang, B., Li, Y., Fang, F., & Yang, G. (2026). A Comparative Study on Pollution Assessment and Migration Paths of Slag Heaps from Coal Gangue and Pyrite in the Mountainous Areas of Southeast China. Land, 15(7), 1139. https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071139

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop