Zn speciation and fate in soils and sediments along the ground transportation route of Zn ore to a smelter

Abstract

Assessment of Zn toxicity/mobility based on its speciation and transformations in soils is critical for maintaining human and ecosystem health. Zn-concentrate (56 % Zn as ZnS, sphalerite) has been imported through a seaport and transported to a Zn-smelter for several decades, and smelting processes resulted in aerial deposition of Zn and sulfuric acids in two geochemically distinct territories around the smelter (mountain-slope and riverside).