Source and risk assessment of heavy metals in mining-affected areas in Jiangxi Province, China, based on Monte Carlo simulation

In recent years, heavy metal contamination of soils has become a major concern in China due to the potential risks involved. To assess environmental pollution and human health risks in a typical heavy metal polluted site in Jiangxi Province, a thorough evaluation of the distribution, pollution levels, and sources of heavy metals in soils of the Yangmeijiang River watershed was conducted in this study. Positive matrix factorization and Monte Carlo simulation were used to evaluate the ecological and human health risks of heavy metals. The research findings indicate that heavy metal pollution was the most severe at the depth of 20–40 cm in soils, with local heavy metal pollution resulting from mining and sewage irrigation. The high-risk area accounted for 91.11