Abstract: Environmental-sensitive trace elements would be released, migrate and be enriched in the surrounding soil environment during the process of coal mining and utilization. Soil samples from the surface and profiles were collected at different distances to the coal gangue pile of Guqiao Coal Mine and the concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr and Cu were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The distribution and enrichment were accordingly investigated and the ecological risk was assessed as well. In addition to using geoaccumulation index and ecological risk index, geoaccumulation index and Nemerow index were combined to evaluate the contamination of trace elements in this area. Results show that concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr and Cu in soils decrease with increasing distance,but change little with increasing depth. The soil is not contaminated by the trace elements except Cd.

Key words: trace elements, soil, distribution characteristic, ecological risk assessment