Environmental and human health risk assessment of soils in areas of ore mineralization and past gold-mining activity

The patterns of the potentially toxic elements (PTEs: Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Pb, Hg) distribution in soils were studied together with the health risk assessment in the area of ore mineralization, past gold activity, and tailing effects of the Sarala gold-ore group located in the Republic of Khakassia, Russia. High PTE concentrations were found in soils with the presence of potential negative impact on human health based on the following: local background investigation, according to statistics; geochemical, environmental, and human health risk calculations; and comparative analysis using international and local reference, such as continental crust, clarke, and permissible concentrations. Sources of PTE soil enrichment and pollution were statistically identified in ascending order of degree: geogenic (local background)