LAUSR

Abstract Heavy metal contamination in soil environment is of serious concern globally with the rapid industrial development. In order to investigate the environmental risks on soil, a comprehensive study on heavy metal pollution was conducted by using 16 topsoil samples (0—20 cm) and 12 layered soil samples (0—120 cm) from Jinan Iron & Steel Group. The results show that heavy metal with the highest concentration is Zn, followed by Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Hg and Cd. The horizontal distribution pattern indicates that all metals in soil were derived from the anthropogenic activities such as coke/chemical processing and oxygen-making. The vertical distribution results show that these metals in topsoil exhibited significant accumulation. The pollution levels of metals are influenced by the temporal factor and decreased from December, 2018 to April, 2019. Fractionation analysis results show that Pb, Hg, Zn and Cu remained the main components in the residual fractions and their mobility potentials in soil decreased in the order of Pb > Hg > Zn > Cu. Assessment results of soil pollution level using the Nemerow composite, Geo-accumulation and Potential ecological risk indicators indicate that the studied area was contaminated with Pb (slightly), Cd (moderately) and Hg (strongly). This study helps identify the priority control components of polluted soils and provides valuable insights for decision makers to develop suitable mitigation strategies.