Potentially toxic elements and their impact on minesoil biota: a pioneering chronosequence study at the Moatize coal mine in Mozambique

This study is the first to investigate the relationship between potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and soil fauna abundance across a chronosequence of minesoils in Moatize coal mine, Mozambique. Soil samples were collected (0.00−0.10 m layer) across a chronosequence of minesoils afforested for 0.5, 1.4, 5.3, and 10.6 years. One adjacent unmined soil was sampled as reference. The samples were analyzed for bioavailable Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ba contents, and their ecological risk factor and potential