title: Impacts of lead/zinc mining and smelting  on the environment and human health in China.
abstract: Mining and smelting are important economic activities. However, mining-related industries are also some of the largest sources of environmental pollution from heavy metals. China is one of the largest producers and consumers of lead and zinc in the world. A large amount of lead, zinc, and related elements, such as cadmium, have been released into the environment due to mineral processing activities and have impacted water resources, soils, vegetables, and crops. In some areas, this pollution is hazardous to human health. This article reviews studies published in the past 10 years (2000-2009), on the environmental and human health consequences of lead/zinc mineral  exploitation in China. Polluted areas are concentrated in the following areas: the  junction  of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, west-central Hunan province, central Guangxi province, northern Guangdong, northwestern Henan province, the border between Shanxi and Gansu provinces, and the region of Liaoning province near Bohai. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are the main pollutants and are associated with human health effects such as high lead blood levels in children, arthralgia, osteomalacia, and excessive cadmium in urine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Geography and Human Health, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100101, China. zxw1216@126.com
authors.forename: Xiuwu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Linsheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yonghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hairong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wuyi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bixiong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D008906:Mining; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; D007854:Lead; D015032:Zinc