Environmental availability and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue

Four different methods, namely mineralogical analysis, three-stage BCR sequential extraction procedure, dynamic leaching test and Hakanson Potential Ecological Risk Index Method were used to access the environmental activity and potential ecological risks of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue. The results demonstrate that the environmental activity of heavy metals declines in the following order: Cd>Zn>Cu>As>Pb. Potential ecological risk indices for single heavy metal are Cd>Zn>Cu>As>Pb. Cd has serious potential ecological risk to the ecological environment and contributes most to the potential toxicity response indices for various heavy metals in the residue.