Multivariate statistical techniques for evaluating and identifying the environmental significance of heavy metal contamination in sediments of the Yangtze River, China

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Fe) in sediments of the Yangtze River, China, were investigated to evaluate levels of contamination and their potential sources. The lowest heavy metal concentrations were found in the source regions of the river basin. Relatively high concentrations of metals, except Cr, were found in the Sichuan Basin, and the highest concentrations were in the Xiangjiang and Shun’anhe rivers. All concentrations, except Ni, were higher than global averages. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis showed that Zn, Pb, As, Hg, and Cd were derived mainly from the exploitation of various multi-metal minerals, industrial wastewater, and domestic sewage. Cu, Co, and Fe were derived mainly from natural weathering (erosion). Cr and Ni were derived mainly from agricultural activities, municipal and industrial wastewater. Sediment pollution was assessed using the geoaccumulation index (I _geo) and enrichment factor (EF). Among the ten heavy metals assessed, Cd and Pb had the highest I _geo values, followed by Cu, As, Zn, and Hg. The I _geo values of Fe, Cr, Co, and Ni were <0 in all sediments. EF provided similar information to I _geo: no enrichment was found for Cr, Co, and Ni. Cu, Zn, As, and Hg were relatively enriched at some sites while Cd and Pb showed significant enrichment.     

Comparison of different methods for assessing heavy metal contamination in street dust of Xianyang City, NW China

Street dust is one of the important indicators that reflect the status of urban environmental pollution. There are many studies of heavy metals contamination of street dust in capital cities; however, little attention has been paid to this kind of study in medium cities, including China. The dust samples were collected in the district of traffic crossroads in Xianyang city, Shaanxi Province. Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and Mn concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results indicate that the concentrations of heavy metals are higher than the background values of soils in Shaanxi Province. The contamination level of heavy metals is assessed by potential ecological risk index (E _r), geoaccumulation index (I _geo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution index (Pi). The low I _geo, EF, E _r, Pi and PI_n (integrated pollution index) for Mn in street dusts indicate an absence of distinct Mn pollution. The high EF, Pi and PI_n of Cu and Zn indicate that there is considerable Cu and Zn pollution. It is suggested that more attention should be paid to heavy metals contamination of Cu and Zn. The assessment results of Pi and PI_n suggest that Pb, Ni and Cr present strong pollution; however, their EFs indicate that they cause moderate pollution and their I _geo indicates that they are unpolluted to moderately polluted. The contamination class value with different assessing methods is of the order: Pi ≈ PI_n > EF > I _geo > E _r.     

Heavy metal contamination in dust from kindergartens and elementary schools in Xi’an,China

Concentrations of As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn in campus dust from kindergartens and elementary schools in Xi’an, China, were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and heavy metal contamination levels were assessed based on the geoaccumulation index (I _geo), enrichment factor (EF) and numero synthesis pollution index (NSPI). The results indicate that, in comparison with Shaanxi soil, dust samples have elevated metal concentrations as a whole, except for V, Mn, Ni, and As. The assessment results of I _geo and EF indicate that V, Mn, Ni, and As in campus dust are uncontaminated, while Ba and Cr are uncontaminated to moderately contaminated, and Co, Cu, Pb, and Zn are moderately to strongly contaminated. The NSPI results show that most dust samples presented heavily contaminated by heavy metals. More attention should be paid to heavy metal contamination of campus dust from kindergartens and elementary schools of Xi’an.     

Contamination assessment and health risk of heavy metals in dust from Changqing industrial park of Baoji,NW China

The contents of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the dust samples collected from Changqing industrial park of Baoji city, NW China, were measured by XRF, while As and Hg in the dust samples were analyzed by AFS. Geo-accumulation index (I _geo), pollution index (PI) and integrated pollution index (IPI) were calculated to evaluate the heavy metal contamination level of dust. The health risk due to exposure to heavy metals in dust was analyzed by the Health Risk Assessment Model of US EPA. The results show that the arithmetic means of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn are 23.3, 16.4, 1591.8, 178.2, 0.243, 346.5, 40.2, 1,586.2 and 1,918.8 mg kg^?1, respectively, which are higher than the background values of Shaanxi soil, especially for Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn. The mean values of I _geo reveal the order of Pb > Zn > Cr > Hg > Cu > As > Co > Ni > Mn. The high I _geo of Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn in dust indicates that there is considerable pollution from Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn, while the low I _geo of As, Co, Mn and Ni presents no pollution in dust. The assessment results of PI support the results of I _geo, and IPI indicates heavy metals in dust polluted seriously. The health risk assessment shows that ingestion of dust particles is the route for exposure to heavy metals from dust, followed by dermal adsorption. Exposure to As, Cr and Pb from dust may pose a potential health threat to children and adults. The risk of cancer from As, Co, Cr and Ni due to dust exposure is low.     

Heavy metal content in the beach sediment with respect to contamination levels and sediment quality guidelines: a study at Kalpakkam coast,southeast coast of India

Socioeconomic developments and industrialization exert tremendous impact on beaches which is often neglected. Heavy metal (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) contents were estimated in the intertidal region from Kalpakkam to Mamallapuram (20 km), southeast coast of India covering seven locations. To evaluate the level of contamination of these metals; enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (I _geo), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI) and modified degree of contamination (mCd) were applied. The results were also compared with the sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) to find out the eco-toxicity level. Metal contents in the beach sediment were observed in the order: Fe > Al > Mn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Zn > Pb > Co > Cd. Grain size distribution showed medium to coarse nature of the sediment. Significant positive correlation was found among the metals indicating their common source of input. Based on EF, minor enrichment of Mn and Zn and moderately severe to severe enrichment of Cr, Cu, Pb and Cd were observed which was further confirmed by I _geo and CF values. Moreover, Mamallapuram showed a very high CF value for Cd (>6) indicating very high contamination accountable to anthropogenic sources. PLI and mCd in all the stations indicated unpolluted nature except M1 where the values pointed moderate degree of contamination. As per the SQGs, Ni and Cr values exceeded the probable effect limit value implying that these metals can have adverse impacts. None of the metals exceeded the effect range median indicating that the beach sediment is not very toxic.     

Heavy metal history from cores in Wellington Harbour,New Zealand

Analysis of ten heavy metals (Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Zn) in six sediment cores from Wellington Harbour show both anthropogenic enrichments and diagenetic modifications. Absolute concentrations determined by two methods, x-ray fluorescence and acid leaching for bioavailability, are not comparable. However, vertical trends in concentrations of the cored sediment are comparable. To assess levels of anthropogenic pollution, enrichment factors (enriched concentrations in upper core divided by background levels in lower core) are preferred over index of accumulation (I _geo) values because preindustrial or background levels of heavy metals are well constrained. The ten metals are placed into three groups: (1) Cu, Pb, and Zn, which show the most anthropogenic enrichment; (2) As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Sb, which are often associated with anthropogenic pollution but show only minor enrichment; and (3) Fe and Mn, which are diagenetically enriched. Assuming harbor waters are well mixed, anthropogenic enrichments of Cu, Pb, and Zn, are time correlative, but the degree of enrichment depends on the method of analysis and core location. Levels of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn show small variations in preindustrial sediments that are not related to changes in grain size and probably result from changes in the oxidation-reduction potential of the sediments and salinity of the pore waters.     

Contamination and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in street dust of Tehran,Iran

Heavy metals are introduced in human tissue through breathing air, food chain and human skin. They can cause damage to the nervous system and internal organs. In the present study, sixty street dust samples were collected from the central area of Tehran and were digested in the laboratory to determine the content of Zn, Ni, Cd, Cr, Cu and Pb, using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The level of contamination with the analyzed metals was determined according to the following indices: geo-accumulation index (I _geo), enrichment factor (EF), pollution index (PI), integrated pollution index (IPI) and potential ecological risk index (RI). The average concentration of heavy metals found was in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cr > Cd. The average I _geo values for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were 1.53, ?1.88, 2.68, ?0.67, 1.62 and 2.70, respectively. Among the investigated heavy metals, zinc and copper had the maximum average EF values and were placed into the “very severe enrichment” class. Potential ecological risk factor (E _r) also indicated that Cd had the highest risk, and it was classified as of considerable potential ecological risk. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the appearance of Cd in the human environment. The calculated potential ecological risk index values also illustrated that the street dust samples presented a “moderate ecological risk.” The calculated IPI values showed that the pollution levels of the street dust samples ranged from high to extremely high.     

近50年来抚仙湖重金属污染的沉积记录*

文章以抚仙湖污染严重的北部和基本未受人类活动影响的中部为研究对象,分别采集了沉积岩芯FB和FZ,通过对岩芯的¹³⁷ Cs测年和重金属元素(Cu,Ni,Ti,Cr,V,Pb,Cd和Zn)的含量分析,研究了湖泊重金属来源和污染历史,并利用地质累积指数法评价了湖泊重金属污染程度。结果表明:抚仙湖北部的平均沉积速率约为2.0~2.8mm/a;20世纪80年代以前,湖泊北部和中部的重金属元素(Cu,Ni,Ti,V,Pb,Cd,Zn)以自然来源为主;80年代以后,抚仙湖受到人类活动的影响,但湖泊中部Cu,Ni,Ti,V,Pb,Zn以及湖泊北部Cu,Ni,Ti,V仍以自然来源为主;湖泊北部Pb和Zn地质累积指数值小于1,属无污染到中度污染;北部Cd地质累积指数为3~4,达强度污染;中部Cd地质累积指数为2~3,属中强度污染;且Pb,Zn和Cd污染程度有加速增大的趋势。     

Source and distribution of metals in bed sediments of Subarnarekha River, India

The study was taken up to establish the distributions of metals as well as to assess the extent of anthropogenic inputs into the Subarnarekha River. Bed sediments were collected; analyzed for metals; and assessed with the index of geo-accumulation (I _geo), enrichment factor (EF) value, concentration factor (CF) and pollution load index (PLI). Metals in the sediment were variable in the river and there are major pollution problems at certain locations. The average concentrations of Fe, Cu, Cr, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn, Co and Ba in mg/kg was found to be 30,802 ± 11,563, 69 ± 57, 111 ± 74, 75 ± 61, 842 ± 335, 42 ± 22, 100 ± 39, 15 ± 4 and 698 ± 435, respectively. The I _geo, EF, CF and PLI indices showed that the contamination of Pb and Cu was more serious than that of Ni, Zn, Co and Ba, whereas the presence of Fe, Mn and Cr might be primarily from natural sources. The contamination of the sediments with metals at few locations is attributed to mining, industries and other anthropogenic causes. Principal component analysis was employed to better comprehend the controlling factors of sediment quality. The statistical analysis of inter-metallic relationship revealed the high degree of correlation among the metals indicated their identical behaviour during transport. PCA outcome of three factors together explained 83.8 % of the variance with >1 initial eigenvalue indicated both innate and anthropogenic activities are contributing factors as source of metal profusion in Subarnarekha River basin.The overall study reveals moderately serious pollution in the river basin principally in some locations under the anthropogenic influences.     

Temporal and spatial variability of trace metals in suspended matter of the Mandovi estuary,central west coast of India

Studies on the suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the Mandovi estuary, western India indicate that during the monsoon and pre-monsoon, the SPM increases, and the major and trace metals decrease from stations in the upstream to downstream of the estuary. SPM is consistently low at all stations during the post-monsoon. Trace metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, and Pb) show strong inter-relationships. They correlate well with Fe and Mn only during the monsoon. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Pb are high during the post-monsoon. Enrichment factors and I _geo values of metals indicate that Mn shows significant to strong pollution in all seasons, while Cr, Ni, and Zn during monsoon, and Cr during the post-monsoon show moderate pollution. SPM is controlled by the turbidity maximum, while major and trace metals are governed seasonally by a combination of river discharge, resuspension, spillage of Fe–Mn particulates, and anthropogenic contamination. Incursion of saline waters deep into the river channel during the dry season facilitates aggregation and settling of particulate-borne pollutants close to the discharge area, thereby keeping the estuarine waters free from major contamination.     

Distribution,enrichment and sources of trace metals in the topsoil in the vicinity of a steel wire plant along the Silk Road economic belt,northwest China

The West Development Program, initiated in 2000 by the central government of China, has attracted huge investments in the arid and semiarid regions of northwest China. As a consequence of this development, environmental pollution and ecological degradation have been widely reported. The Silk Road economic belt proposed by China promotes further economic development in the regions, but rational planning and regular monitoring are essential to minimize any additional negative impacts of the anthropogenic activities. This article reports an investigation on the distribution, enrichment and sources of trace metals in the topsoil in and around the Ningxia Hengli Steel Wire Plant (HSWP) situated along the Silk Road economic belt. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mn, V and Co in the surface soils of the study area vary, respectively, in the following ranges: 0.083–18.600, 21.9–2681.0, 58.0–100.0, 14.6–169.9, 59.0–4207.3, 19.3–40.8, 411–711, 55.2–76.6 and 7.46–25.21 mg/kg. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn and Co are significantly higher than their local background values. Pollution levels of these trace metals in the surface soils were assessed using contamination index (C _f ⁱ ), geo-accumulation index (I _geo), modified contamination degree (mC _d) and pollution load index. The potential ecological risks caused by the metal pollution were assessed by means of potential ecological risk factor (E _f ⁱ ) and potential ecological risk index. The Spearman correlation and cluster analysis were applied to determine the contamination sources. The HSWP zone, associated with very high potential ecological risk caused by Pb and Cd, is more seriously contaminated by trace metals than the residential zone. This study indicates that Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn and Co mainly originate from industrial pollution, whereas Cr, Mn, Ni and V result from both industrial activities and natural processes.     

Heavy metal pollution assessment through comparison of different indices in sewage-fed fishery pond sediments at East Kolkata Wetland,India

The sediments of the raw sewage-fed fishpond system at East Kolkata Wetland (EKW) were analyzed for heavy metal content in a comprehensive way. Various indices of contamination like enrichment factor (EF), geo-chemical index (I _geo), modified degree of contamination (mD_C), and pollution load index (PLI) were assessed. In all cases, instead of literature values, the metal concentrations of less contaminated sites, separated by the statistical approach of the hierarchical cluster analysis, were used as baseline values. In the present study, about 70% of the pond sediments are found uncontaminated, 5% display low degree of contamination and 25% are designated as moderate degree of contamination. Both the EF and I _geo indices highlighted that the metals lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) are responsible for the contamination while there is little anthropogenic input in cases of Cu, Zn, and Ni. Most of the ponds situated near the main sewage flowing canals as well as the main traffic highway and close to the solid waste dumping areas recorded higher degree of metal contamination as evident from spatial variation of mD_C and PLI indices in the study area. Indices comparison study clearly indicates that although these are calculated using different methods, these may or may not produce the same indices values and hence the values should neither be compared nor be averaged. But all the above indices are directly related to a common term contamination factor (CF). Classification of contamination levels based on these CF values is found to be similar and this classification is only valid up to the level of high degree of contamination. Thus, the use of any one of these indices is sufficient to classify the degree of contamination of an area. However, to evaluate the contamination per metal, both I _geo and EF are effective while, to assess the composite effect of all the metals, PLI is preferable to mD_C.     

Assessment of heavy metals in sediments near Hazira industrial zone at Tapti River estuary, Surat, India

Heavy metal accumulation due to industrial activities has become a very sensitive issue for the survival of the aquatic life. Therefore, distributions of several heavy metals have been studied in the surface sediments of Tapti–Hazira estuary, Surat, to assess the impact of anthropogenic and industrial activities near estuary. Totally 60 sediment samples were collected from four different sites at Tapti–Hazira estuary, Surat from January 2011 to May 2011 and examined for metal contents. The average heavy metal load in the study area are found to be 43.28–77.74 mg/kg for Pb, 48.26–72.40 mg/kg for Cr, 117.47–178.80 mg/kg for Zn, 71.13–107.82 mg/kg for Ni, 123.17–170.52 mg/kg for Cu, 0.74–1.25 mg/kg for Cd, 14.73–21.69 mg/kg for Co. Calculated enrichment factors (EF) reveal that enrichment of Pb and Cd is moderate at all sites, whereas other metals Cr, Ni, Zn, Co, and Cu show significant to very high enrichment. Geo-accumulation index (I _geo) results revealed that the study area is nil to moderately contaminated with respect to Cd, moderately to highly polluted with respect to Pb, Zn, and Cu and high to very highly polluted with respect to Co and Cr.     

Heavy metal distribution in surface sediments of the Tirumalairajan river estuary and the surrounding coastal area, east coast of India

Surface sediments collected at the Tirumalairajan river estuary and their surrounding coastal areas were analyzed for the bulk metal concentration. The sediments were collected from post- and premonsoon seasons. Dominances of heavy metals are in the following order: Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu in both seasons from estuary and coastal area. The results reveal that Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Zn demonstrated an increased pattern from the estuary when compared to the coastal area. The heavy metal pattern of the sediments of the Tirumalairajan river estuary and its surrounding coastal area offered strong evidence that the coastal area was a major source of heavy metals to the estuarine region. For various metals, the contamination factor and geoaccumulation index (I _geo) have been calculated to assess the degree of pollution in sediments. The contamination factor and geoaccumulation index show that Zn, Pb, and Cu unpolluted to moderately pollute the sediments in estuarine part. This study shows the major sources of metal contamination in catchment and anthropogenic ones, such as agriculture runoff, discharge of industrial wastewater, and municipal sewage through the estuary and adjoining coastal area.     

Geochemical contamination in the mine affected soil of Raniganj Coalfield——A river basin scale assessment

The study aimed to assess the heavy metals(K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, Sr, Zr) contamination in the soil of mine affected Singaran river basin and to analyse spatial variation in the contamination level considering 32 soil samples. Elemental analysis of soil samples has been performed through Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis(EDX) to quantify the elemental concentration(mg kgà1). Heavy metal concentrations have been assessed through geo-accumulation index(Igeo) and enrichment factor(EF).Indices showed soils have moderate accumulation of most of the metals with moderate enrichment of Sr,Zr, Zn, Cu and Ni. Soil contamination level assessment has been carried out using indices like Contamination Factor(CF), degree of contamination(C_(deg)), modified degree of contamination(m C_(deg)) and Pollution Load Index(PLI). CF shows moderate to considerable contamination by Sr, Zr, Ca, Cu, Mn, Zn and Ni. Mean indices values(m C_(deg)and PLI for the entire basin are 3.38 and 2.23 respectively) show low to moderate level of soil contamination. These indices result have been mapped and analysed in GIS platform to get spatial variation of pollution level. Opencast mines dominate middle catchment area and so is comparatively contaminated. Sample sites 11, 18 and 25 evidenced high values of all indices of pollution load. From the ecological standpoint Ecological Risk Factor(Er) and Potential Ecological Risk Index(RI) have been estimated to assess regional threat to native soil environment and it shows low ecological risk potential. Analysis shows that mine dominated soil of the entire Singaran basin is less contaminated in all respect but tends to the moderate contamination level at the mid-catchment area,especially by Sr, Zr, Zn, Cu and Ni.     

Using regression model to identify and evaluate heavy metal pollution sources in an open pit coal mine area,Eastern Junggar,China

This study aims at identifying multi-source heavy metal pollution from natural and anthropogenic sources using a regression model, principal component analysis, and five different indices (geo-accumulation index (I _geo), the modified degree of contamination, pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor, and ecological risk factor. Results revealed that: (1) although the average concentrations of soil heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Pb, Hg, As, Zn) were generally low, Hg, As, and Cr concentrations exceeded national standard values by approximately 0.91, 1.84, and 0.91 times with maximum concentrations up to 0.41, 78.6, and 175.2 μg/g, respectively; (2) PLI results showed that the industrial park and Wucaiwan open coal mining area were the most polluted (PLI of 1.98, 1.71). The potential ecological hazards index indicated that the E _i ^r of three heavy metals (Cu, Hg, As) in the soil were relatively high, presenting potential ecological risk factors of 74.89, 16.71, 4.15%, respectively; (3) stepwise regression model and principal component analysis suggest that Cu and Zn were primarily effected by the natural geological condition and atmospheric dust fall. Cr, Hg, Pb are mainly derived from anthropogenic sources, particularly coal mining activities and industrial sources. Results of this research have some significant implications for heavy metal pollution prevention and the sustainable development of the economy and ecology of arid regions in China.     

Environmental conditions inferred from multi-element concentrations in sediments off Cauvery delta,Southeast India

We present multi-element concentrations in the surface sediments from the offshore of Cauvery delta of southeast India to evaluate the impact of coastal pollution on the geochemical behaviour of surface deposits. For this study, 16 surface sediment samples were collected from the offshore of Cauvery delta of southeast India and were analysed using traditional XRF for various major (SiO₂, Al₂O₃, MgO, Fe₂O₃, MnO, Na₂O, K₂O, CaO, P₂O₅, TiO₂) and trace elements (Rb, Sr, Ba, Y, Zr, Nb, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Th, Pb) after powdering it to ASTM 230 (<63 μm). The main objectives of this study were to understand the geochemical behaviour of the coastal surface sediments and its performance and relation with the pollution indices and statistical analysis. To meet out the objective, pollution indices such as enrichment factor (EF), contamination factor (CF) and Geoaccumulation Index (I _geo) were calculated and statistical analyses were performed to understand the relationship between the geochemical parameters. Both EF and I _geo show the enrichment of Cu, Cr and Zr, whereas CF shows enrichment of Cu and Cr. Statistical analyses exhibit poor correlation between these elements and fine fraction indicating the insignificant role played by both grain size and organic matter. Strong positive association between Cu and Zn with CaCO₃ exhibits the role of carbonates in precipitating these metals from the overlying water column possibly related to agricultural pollution. Distribution and association of other elements suggest the influence of mineralogy in geochemical composition of surface sediments. Based on this study, we suggest that environmental indices alone should not be considered for evaluating environmental conditions and a prior geogenic characterisation of the sediments is necessary.     

Potential ecological risk assessment,enrichment, geoaccumulation,and source identification of metals in the surface sediments of Choghakhor Wetland,Iran

This study reported the first comprehensive research on identification of metal concentrations (Fe, Mg, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr) in order to provide baseline data for future studies, identify possible sources, determine degree of pollution, and identify potential ecological risks of metals in surface sediments from Iran’s Choghakhor Wetland. The order of metal concentration was as follows: Fe > Mg > Mn > Pb > Cd > Cr, with mean concentrations of 6140.35, 1647.32, 289.03, 1.10, and 0.45 µg/g of dry weight, respectively. These results reveal that Choghakhor Wetland is not heavily polluted compared to other regions. The results of enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I _geo) showed that Fe, Pb, Mg, Cr, and Mn presented low levels of contamination and probably originated from natural sources. On the other hand, the results of EF and I _geo indices suggested that Cd concentrations in sediments of Choghakhor Wetland originated from anthropogenic sources. Based on the results of three sets of sediment quality guidelines, only Cd concentration in sediments of Choghakhor Wetland is a threat for aquatic organisms of Choghakhor Wetland. The results of multivariate analysis such as principal component analysis and cluster analysis showed that Fe–Mn, Cr–Mg, and Pb groups originated from natural sources, while Cd concentrations in sediments of Choghakhor Wetland originated from both natural and anthropogenic sources (mainly chemical fertilizers). To our knowledge, this is the first study about metal concentrations in sediments of Choghakhor Wetland, and because of low levels of these metals, these concentrations can be considered background levels for future investigation.     

Environmental assessment of heavy metal contamination in bottom sediments of Al-Kharrar lagoon,Rabigh, Red Sea,Saudi Arabia

In order to assess the pollution levels of selected heavy metals, 45 bottom sediment samples were collected from Al-Kharrar lagoon in central western Saudi Arabia. The concentrations of the heavy metals were recorded using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The results showed that the concentrations of Pb and Cd exceeded the environmental background values. However, the heavy metal contents were less than the threshold effect level (TEL) limit. The concentrations of heavy metals in lagoon bottom sediments varied spatially, but their variations showed similar trends. Elevated levels of metals were observed in the northern and southern parts of the lagoon. Evaluation of contamination levels by the sediment quality guidelines (SQG) of the US-EPA revealed that sediments were non-polluted-moderately to heavily polluted with Pb; non-polluted to moderately polluted with Cu; and non-polluted with Mn, Zn, Cd, and Cr. The geoaccumulation index showed that lagoon sediments were unpolluted with Cd, Mn, Fe, Hg, Mo, and Se; unpolluted to moderately polluted with Zn and Co; and moderately polluted with Pb, Cr, Cu, and As. The high enrichment factor values for Pb, As, Cu, Cr, Co, and Zn (>2) indicate their anthropogenic sources, whereas the remaining elements were of natural origins consistent with their low enrichment levels. The values of CF indicate that the bottom sediments of Al-Kharrar lagoon are moderately contaminated with Mn and Pb.     

Contamination assessment of copper,lead, zinc and chromium in dust fall of Jinan,NE China

To assess the pollution of heavy metal in dust fall, nine dust fall samples were collected during the heating period and non-heating period from Jinan, a city in northeastern China. The samples were analyzed for Cu, Pb, Zn and Cr and the contamination level of heavy metals was assessed on the basis of the geo-accumulation index (I _geo). The results indicated that all of the four investigated metals accumulated significantly in the dust fall of Jinan, and the metal concentrations were much higher than background values. During the heating period, the mean values for Cu, Pb, Zn and Cr in the dust fall were 354.9, 688.5, 2,585.5 and 478.6 mg kg⁻¹. During the non-heating period, the mean values for Cu, Pb, Zn and Cr in the dust fall were 228.2, 518.2, 1,933.9 and 96.3 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The I _geo values calculated based on background values revealed that the contamination level of heavy metal in the dust fall ranges from moderately contaminated to heavily contaminated, and it mainly originates from traffic and industry. In this work, the dust fall residue compared to the standard reference was also chosen as the background value to calculate the I _geo value. This method is useful for situations in which the background value is difficult to obtain.