Vanadium is a trace element, which may be biologically beneficial and possibly essential but certainly harmful to human beings and some living organisms if excessive. After over 40 years of development, the mining industry has caused serious environmental problems in the Panzhihua mining area. Vanadium is significantly accumulated in the soil of the Panzhihua area. Human activities have intensified the pollution and release of vanadium and caused serious damages to the ecological system there. In the past few years, the authors have made investigations into and assessments on the geochemical distribution, chemical speciation, adsorption characteristics and transfer behavior of vanadium in the topsoil in the Panzhihua mining area. The results showed that: (1) the difference in the contents of vanadium in soil between premonsoon and monsoon is insignificant; (2) the adsorption isotherms of vanadium on soil in the Panzhihua mining area are well described by the Langmuir type; (3) the transfer ability of vanadium in soil is interrelated to soil properties; and (4) the chemical speciation of vanadium shows an order of insoluble residue > oxidizable=reducible > soluble component. According to the above results, some countermeasures to control pollution of vanadium in soil should be put forward.
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