Geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements in surface sediments from Huainan coal mining subsidence area, Anhui Province, China

Authors

QIAN Yinghua, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, ChinaFollow
ZHENG Liugen, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, ChinaFollow
CHEN Yuanping, Anhui Keken Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., Hefei 230600, China
JIANG Chunlu, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
CHEN Xing, College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
CHEN Yongchun, National Engineering Laboratory of Coal Mine Ecological Environment Protection, Huainan 232011, Anhui, China

Abstract

Rare earth elements(REEs) are widely used in environmental geochemical analysis process research due to their unique chemical characteristics. This study investigated the geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements in surface sediment from the Huainan coal mining subsidence area, Anhui Province, China. Twelve surface sediment samples were collected from Panyi, Guqiao and Xieqiao subsidence areas in the study area. The content of rare earth elements in the samples was tested and analyzed by ICP-MS, and the distribution characteristics and controlling factors of REEs and its material sources were discussed. The results show that the rare earth element content in the surface sediments is 54.63-130.45 μg/g, with an average of 102.6 μg/g. The ratio of LREE/HREE varies from 11.89 to 20.55, with an average value of 14.29. The enrichment of LREE is obvious in the surface sediments. Correlation analysis results show that REEs tend to be concentrated in clay components; the intensive artificial breeding and fishing activities in this area lead to the reduction in the content of REEs in the surface sediment; the chondrites-normalized REEs distribution pattern show different degrees of positive La and Gd anomalies; the positive Gd anomalies are influenced mainly by coal combustion, while the La anomalies are mainly related to the contribution of coal and fertilizer. Through the combination of Pearson correlation, chondrite standardization, and (La/Yb)_N-(La/Sm)_N-(Gd/Yb)_N ternary diagram, it is concluded that the REEs in the surface sediments of the study area are related to human activities (coal burning and chemical fertilizers). The study provides a reference basis for the source control of pollutants and the ecological treatment of coal mine environment.

Keywords

rare earth element, geochemistry characteristics, surface sediment, coal-mining subsidence area, Huainan

DOI

10.12363/issn.1001-1986.21.08.0439

Recommended Citation

QIAN Yinghua, ZHENG Liugen, CHEN Yuanping, et al. (2022) "Geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements in surface sediments from Huainan coal mining subsidence area, Anhui Province, China," Coal Geology & Exploration: Vol. 50: Iss. 4, Article 11.
DOI: 10.12363/issn.1001-1986.21.08.0439
Available at: https://cge.researchcommons.org/journal/vol50/iss4/11

Reference

[1] BAYON G,LAMBERT T,VIGIER N,et al. Rare earth element and neodymium isotope tracing of sedimentary rock weathering[J]. Chemical Geology,2020,553:119794.

[2] ANGGARA F,AMIJAYA D H,HARIJOKO A,et al. Rare earth element and yttrium content of coal in the Banko coalfield,South Sumatra Basin,Indonesia:Contributions from tonstein layers[J]. International Journal of Coal Geology,2018,196:159−172.

[3] 杨毅,吕大炜,张建强,等. 鄂尔多斯盆地北缘延安组2号煤层稀土元素异常原因及其地质意义[J]. 煤田地质与勘探,2020,48(2):78−84. YANG Yi,LYU Dawei,ZHANG Jianqiang,et al. Causes of anomaly of rare earth elements of seam 2 of Yan’an Formation in the northern margin of Ordos Basin and its geological significance[J]. Coal Geology & Exploration,2020,48(2):78−84.

[4] OLÍAS M,CÁNOVAS C R,BASALLOTE M D,et al. Geochemical behaviour of rare earth elements (REE) along a river reach receiving inputs of acid mine drainage[J]. Chemical Geology,2018,493:468−477.

[5] BAYON G,TOUCANNE S,SKONIECZNY C,et al. Rare earth elements and neodymium isotopes in world river sediments revisited[J]. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta,2015,170:17−38.

[6] COSTA L,MIRLEAN N,JOHANNESSON K H. Rare earth elements as tracers of sediment contamination by fertilizer industries in Southern Brazil,Patos Lagoon Estuary[J]. Applied Geochemistry,2021,129:104965.

[7] PANG Xin,LI Decheng,PENG An. Application of rare–earth elements in the agriculture of China and its environmental behavior in soil[J]. Journal of Soils and Sediments,2001,1(2):124−129.

[8] ZHANG Yong,GAO Xuelu. Rare earth elements in surface sediments of a marine coast under heavy anthropogenic influence:the Bohai Bay,China[J]. Estuarine,Coastal and Shelf Science,2015,164:86−93.

[9] AN Shikai,JIANG Chunlu,ZHANG Weixiang,et al. Influencing factors of the hydrochemical characteristics of surface water and shallow groundwater in the subsidence area of the Huainan coalfield[J]. Arabian Journal of Geosciences,2020,13(4):191.

[10] 谢凯,徐鑫,章磊. 淮南潘谢矿区沉陷积水区沉积物磷的赋存和迁移转化特征[J]. 生态与农村环境学报,2015,31(2):211−217. XIE Kai,XU Xin,ZHANG Lei. Fractions of phosphorus and migration in sediments in flooded sinkages around Panxie coal mine in Huainan[J]. Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment,2015,31(2):211−217.

[11] 安郁辉,刘健,张军强,等. 淮河与长江和黄河沉积物的物源识别指标比较研究[J]. 第四纪研究,2020,40(3):837−850. AN Yuhui,LIU Jian,ZHANG Junqiang,et al. Comparative researches on the provenance indicators of Huaihe river,Yangtze river and Yellow river sediments[J]. Quaternary Sciences,2020,40(3):837−850.

[12] MAO Longjiang,MO Duowen,YANG Jinghong,et al. Rare earth elements geochemistry in surface floodplain sediments from the Xiangjiang river,middle reach of Changjiang river,China[J]. Quaternary International,2014,336:80−88.

[13] 周国华,孙彬彬,刘占元,等. 中国东部主要河流稀土元素地球化学特征[J]. 现代地质,2012,26(5):1028−1042. ZHOU Guohua,SUN Binbin,LIU Zhanyuan,et al. Geochemical feature of rare earth elements in major rivers of eastern China[J]. Geoscience,2012,26(5):1028−1042.

[14] 王月,沈建伟,王旭,等. 海南岛三亚小东海岸礁礁坪沉积物的稀土元素分布特征[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质,2011,31(5):59−66. WANG Yue,SHEN Jianwei,WANG Xu,et al. REE distribution pattern in the Xiaodonghai fringing reef–flat sediments off Sanya,Hainan island and its environmental implications[J]. Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology,2011,31(5):59−66.

[15] LIU Haiyan,GUO Huaming,XING Lina,et al. Geochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in groundwater along a flow path in the North China Plain[J]. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences,2016,117:33−51.

[16] 赵志根. 含煤岩系稀土元素地球化学研究[M]. 北京：煤炭工业出版社，2002.

[17] 徐利强,徐芳,周涛发. 巢湖沉积物粒度特征及其沉积学意义[J]. 地理科学,2015,35(10):1318−1324. XU Liqiang,XU Fang,ZHOU Taofa. Grain–size features of lacustrine sediments from Chaohu lake and its sedimentary implications[J]. Scientia Geographica Sinica,2015,35(10):1318−1324.

[18] SU Ni,YANG Shouye,GUO Yulong,et al. Revisit of rare earth element fractionation during chemical weathering and river sediment transport[J]. Geochemistry,Geophysics,Geosystems,2017,18(3):935−955.

[19] YANG Luping,WANG Xining,NIE Hongqian,et al. Residual levels of rare earth elements in freshwater and marine fish and their health risk assessment from Shandong,China[J]. Marine Pollution Bulletin,2016,107:393−397.

[20] MAYFIELD D B,FAIRBROTHER A. Examination of rare earth element concentration patterns in freshwater fish tissues[J]. Chemosphere,2015,120:68−74.

[21] ZHANG Jue,WANG Zhuhong,WU Qixin,et al. Anthropogenic rare earth elements:Gadolinium in a small catchment in Guizhou Province,Southwest China[J]. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,2019,16:4052.

[22] SHAJIB M T I,HANSEN H C B,LIANG Tao,et al. Rare earth elements in surface specific urban runoff in Northern Beijing[J]. Science of the Total Environment,2020,717:136969.

[23] OLMEZ I,GORDON G E. Rare earths:atmospheric signatures for oil–fired power plants and refineries[J]. Science,1985,229:966−968.

[24] 储安心,郑刘根,刘梦,等. 淮南深部山西组煤中稀土元素地球化学特征[J]. 沉积学报,2020,38(2):257−265. CHU Anxin,ZHENG Liugen,LIU Meng,et al. Geochemistry of rare earth elements in the deeply–buried Shanxi formation coal seam of the Huainan coalfield[J]. Acta Sedimentologica Sinica,2020,38(2):257−265.

[25] HATJE V,BRULAND K W,FLEGAL A R. Increases in anthropogenic gadolinium anomalies and rare earth element concentrations in San Francisco Bay over a twenty–year record[J]. Environmental Science & Technology,2016,50:4159−4168.

[26] SONG H,SHIN W J,RYU J S,et al. Anthropogenic rare earth elements and their spatial distributions in the Han river,South Korea[J]. Chemosphere,2017,172:155−165.

[27] 符颖,季宏兵. 稀土元素的环境生物地球化学研究现状与展望[J]. 首都师范大学学报(自然科学版),2014,35(1):84−95. FU Ying,JI Hongbing. An overview and prospect on the study of biogeochemical for rare earth elements(REEs)[J]. Journal of Capital Normal University(Natural Science Edition),2014,35(1):84−95.

[28] ZHU Zhaozhou,LIU Congqiang,WANG Zhongliang,et al. Rare earth elements concentrations and speciation in rainwater from Guiyang,an acid rain impacted zone of Southwest China[J]. Chemical Geology,2016,442:23−34.

[29] WANG Lijun,LIANG Tao,DING Shiming,et al. Biogeochemical cycle and residue of extraneous rare earth elements in agricultural ecosystem[J]. Journal of Rare Earths,2004,22(5):701−706.

[30] 吴国强,汪涛,王家伟,等. 煤和煤矸石及其燃烧产物中稀土元素赋存形态研究[J]. 燃料化学学报,2020,48(12):1498−1505. WU Guoqiang,WANG Tao,WANG Jiawei,et al. Occurrence forms of rare earth elements in coal and coal gangue and their combustion products[J]. Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology,2020,48(12):1498−1505.

[31] 邢培哲,习佳林,王春慧,等. 微波消解电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定肥料中16种稀土元素[J]. 农产品质量与安全,2020(6):69−74. XING Peizhe,XI Jialin,WANG Chunhui,et al. Determination of 16 rare–earth elements in fertilizers by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with microwave digestion[J]. Quality and Safety of Agro–Products,2020(6):69−74.