Spatial Distribution and Migration Mechanisms of Toxic Elements in Farmland Soil at Nonferrous Metal Smelting Site
and Wenlou Luan 6Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
1、L69-70：“Metal cations strongly adsorb 69 on soil clay minerals in soils”please revise the sentence.
2、L73:“these areas”please be specific, have you mentioned it above?
3、L86：The PMF model is not mentioned above in the article，please brief it.
4、L88：How does the model show a good performance? Please point out that.
5、L92：Determine the factors that influence the distribution of IE? Please restate it.
6、L131:“Soil pH was analyzed following reference HJ 962-2018 (F50A)”Please modify this sentence.
7、L163：“q statistic”should be“Q-statistics”.
8、L268：“the contributions” should be “the contribution rate”
9、L279：“For other TE, the top three contributing factors to Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn were 279 soil clay, CaO, and Fe2O3 as total As.”Are the three factors affecting the other IE related to As?
10、L282：“The contribution of Fe2O3 exceeded those 282 of Mn, CEC, and pH.”The expression here refers to the contribution of the Fe2O3 to that kind of IE？
11、L291 and L377：Please clearly refer to the source.
12、L291-292：“Especially, q values of Fe2O3 were 31.83% higher than clay and CaO for total Cu.”q values of Fe2O3 compare with the other two factors is it the same ? Or q values of the Fe2O3of 31.83%.
13、L346-348：“Its existence greatly affected the migration and transformation ability of As and other TE (Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn) in the hot spot.“Its”refer to“illite and smectite”？
14、L416：“However, the relationship of As was opposite to Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb with clay minerals.”What way IE is contrary to clay minerals? Please make it clear .
15、Please clarify the conclusion, are clay minerals absorbed for all types?
Author Response
Dear reviewer
Thank you very much for the letter on 31 May 2023 and the valuable comments on our paper entitled ‘Spatial distribution and migration mechanisms of toxic elements in farmland soil at nonferrous metal smelting site’ (Manuscript:2398163). We thank the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions! We have carefully taken all these comments and suggestions into consideration in preparing our revision, which has resulted in a manuscript that is clearer and more compelling. For each comment of reviewers, we make a clear connection to our response, so as to facilitate your simultaneous consideration of the comments and our replies to those comments. We also highlighted our revisions in the revised manuscript in yellow so that reviewers/Editors could easily identify them. Detailed point-by-point response are listed below.
Responses to the Reviewer：
1、L69-70：“Metal cations strongly adsorb on soil clay minerals in soils” please revise the sentence.
Response: The sentence has been improved
2、L73:“these areas”please be specific, have you mentioned it above?
Response: “these areas” have been improved to non-ferrous metals mining and smelting area.
3、L86：The PMF model is not mentioned above in the article，please brief it.
Response: The PMF model have been described.
4、L88：How does the model show a good performance? Please point out that.
Response: The sentence has been improved.
5、L92：Determine the factors that influence the distribution of IE? Please restate it.
Response: The sentence has been restated
6、L131:“Soil pH was analyzed following reference HJ 962-2018 (F50A)”Please modify this sentence.
Response: The sentence has been improved.
7、L163：“q statistic”should be“Q-statistics”.
Response: The sentence has been improved
8、L268：“the contributions” should be “the contribution rate”
Response: The sentence has been improved
9、L279：“For other TE, the top three contributing factors to Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn were soil clay, CaO, and Fe2O3 as total As.”Are the three factors affecting the other IE related to As?
Response: The sentence has been explained.
10、L282：“The contribution of Fe2O3 exceeded those of Mn, CEC, and pH.”The expression here refers to the contribution of the Fe2O3 to that kind of IE？
Response: The sentence has been improved
11、L291 and L377：Please clearly refer to the source.
Response: The source has been added.
12、L291-292：“Especially, q values of Fe2O3 were 31.83% higher than clay and CaO for total Cu.”q values of Fe2O3 compare with the other two factors is it the same ? Or q values of the Fe2O3of 31.83%.
Response: The sentence has been improved.
13、L346-348：“Its existence greatly affected the migration and transformation ability of As and other TE (Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn) in the hot spot.“Its”refer to“illite and smectite”？
Response: The sentence has been improved.
14、L416：“However, the relationship of As was opposite to Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb with clay minerals.”What way IE is contrary to clay minerals? Please make it clear .
Response: The sentence has been explained
15、Please clarify the conclusion, are clay minerals absorbed for all types?
Response: The manuscript has clarified the conclusion.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript is well-structured. The figures, and tables are appropriate, properly showing the data. It would be desirable that the authors provide the data availability. The title could be modifief, including the reference of the study area.
The manuscript includes a descriptive statistical analysis based on the mean values and coefficient of variation (SPSS 24.0), a geo-statistical analysis (ArcGIS10.5) and a correlation analysis (Origin Pro 2022) completed using PMF5.0. How the soil samples were collected must be explained in more detail? Regarding the purposes of research, it is necessary that the authors consider and discuss questions on the spatial correlation and the co-linearity.
In order to understand the current environmental situation, please enter a comment about the evolution of population and the metallurgical development in the last decade (section 2).
Regarding the evidence and arguments presented, the conclusions could be more consistent. The authors must complete this section, taking into account the relevant aspects from the discussion.
The cited references include an excessive number of (partial or total) self-citations. The references number 4-5 are duplicated. The references number 20 and 21 do not exist with the data provided.
Author Response
Dear reviewer
Thank you very much for the letter on 31 May 2023 and the valuable comments on our paper entitled ‘Spatial distribution and migration mechanisms of toxic elements in farmland soil at nonferrous metal smelting site’ (Manuscript:2398163). We thank the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions! We have carefully taken all these comments and suggestions into consideration in preparing our revision, which has resulted in a manuscript that is clearer and more compelling. For each comment of reviewers, we make a clear connection to our response, so as to facilitate your simultaneous consideration of the comments and our replies to those comments. We also highlighted our revisions in the revised manuscript in yellow so that reviewers/Editors could easily identify them. Detailed point-by-point response are listed below.
Responses to the Reviewer：
1.The manuscript includes a descriptive statistical analysis based on the mean values and coefficient of variation (SPSS 24.0), a geo-statistical analysis (ArcGIS10.5) and a correlation analysis (Origin Pro 2022) completed using PMF5.0. How the soil samples were collected must be explained in more detail? Regarding the purposes of research, it is necessary that the authors consider and discuss questions on the spatial correlation and the co-linearity.
Response: The soil samples have been explained in more detail.
- In order to understand the current environmental situation, please enter a comment about the evolution of population and the metallurgical development in the last decade (section 2).
Response: The manuscript has added some relative content.
3.Regarding the evidence and arguments presented, the conclusions could be more consistent. The authors must complete this section, taking into account the relevant aspects from the discussion.
Response: The manuscript has been improved.
4.The cited references include an excessive number of (partial or total) self-citations. The references number 4-5 are duplicated. The references number 20 and 21 do not exist with the data provided.
Response: The manuscript has been improved.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
For the abstract and the concluding section, just two significant digits for percentages of mineral contributions etc. would be fine.
Please check punctuation.
Author Response
Dear reviewer
Thank you very much for the letter on 31 May 2023 and the valuable comments on our paper entitled ‘Spatial distribution and migration mechanisms of toxic elements in farmland soil at nonferrous metal smelting site’ (Manuscript:2398163). We thank the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions! We have carefully taken all these comments and suggestions into consideration in preparing our revision, which has resulted in a manuscript that is clearer and more compelling. For each comment of reviewers, we make a clear connection to our response, so as to facilitate your simultaneous consideration of the comments and our replies to those comments. We also highlighted our revisions in the revised manuscript in yellow so that reviewers/Editors could easily identify them. Detailed point-by-point response are listed below.
Responses to the Reviewer：
1.For the abstract and the concluding section, just two significant digits for percentages of mineral contributions etc. would be fine.
Response: The the abstract and the concluding section has been improved.
2.Comments on the Quality of English Language. Please check punctuation.
Response: The punctuation of manuscript has been improved.
