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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Study on the Influence of Expressway
Construction on Soil Environment in Karst
Area of Guangxi, Southwest China
1
Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, Ministry of Natural Resources & Guangxi, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese
Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China
2
International Research Centre on Karst, Under the Auspices of UNESCO, National Center for International Research on
Karst Dynamic System and Global Change, Guilin 541004, China
3
Pingguo Guangxi, Karst Ecosystem, National Observation and Research Station, Pingguo 531406, China
4
Guangxi Xinfazhan Communication Group Co., Ltd, Nanning 530029, China
5
Guangxi Communications Design Group Co., Ltd, Nanning 530029, China
Submission date: 2024-09-14
Final revision date: 2024-10-14
Acceptance date: 2024-11-10
Online publication date: 2025-01-29
Publication date: 2026-01-29
Corresponding author
Fen Huang
Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, Ministry of Natural Resources & Guangxi, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China
Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, Ministry of Natural Resources & Guangxi, Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(1):413-422
KEYWORDS
expressway constructionsoil heavy metalssoil physical and chemical propertiesstable isotopes of carbon and nitrogenpollution assessment
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to understand the effects of expressway construction on the soil environment in the
karst area of Guangxi. To achieve this, the impact of expressway construction on soil physicochemical
properties, heavy metal content, organic carbon, and nitrogen isotope composition, along with
characteristics, were determined. Soil samples were collected from the east and west sides of the
unopened Hezhou-Bama Expressway (Laibin to Du'an section) after construction. Seven primary heavy
metals, including Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, As, Hg, and Mn, soil physicochemical properties, organic carbon, and
nitrogen isotopic compositions were detected. The soil accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor
(CFi), and pollution load index (PLI) were used to analyze the degree of pollution. The study found that
the soil moisture content, organic matter content, and the mass fraction of available nutrients decreased
due to the disturbance of soil structure and the change of vegetation types during construction.
However, the content of heavy metals in the soil did not exceed the soil pollution risk control standard
of soil environmental quality construction land. The δ13C and δ15N in soil on both sides showed a heavy
characteristic, mainly due to the reduction of soil organic matter, microorganisms, and fixed nitrogen
caused by construction. The study also found that with the increase in highway operation time, the
pollution potential of soil heavy metals on both sides of the highway will continue to increase. These findings provide an essential theoretical basis for preventing and controlling heavy metal pollution on
expressways in Guangxi and support the restoration of the ecosystem on expressways' roadside slopes.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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