Assessment of heavy metal pollution in estuarine surface sediments of Tangxi River in Chaohu Lake Basin

A total of 30 surface sediments samples from the estuary wetland of the Tangxi River, Chaohu Lake Basin were obtained and tested. Enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I_(geo)) as well as multivariate statistical analysis methods including Factor Analysis (FA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were applied for the assessment of heavy metal pollution in surface sediments. The results of EF values show that the pollution of copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) occurs in the estuarine sediments, and that zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and chrome (Cr) may originate from crustal materials or natural weathering process. The mean EF values of the five heavy metals are in the decreasing order: Cu>Cd>Zn>Pb>Cr. Based on the I_(geo) of target heavy metals, the surface sediments collected from the study area can be approximately categorized as unpolluted with Zn, Pb and Cr, and moderately polluted with Cu and Cd. The degree of heavy metal pollution decreases in the order of Cu>Cd>Zn>Pb>Cr. Three groups of pollution factors are presented from FA: Zn-TOC, Cu-Cd and Cr-Pb, which respectively accounte for 27.22%, 25.20% and 21.05% of variance. By means of HCA, a total number of seven groups are distinguished from 30 sampling sites. Results indicate that Cu and Cd are the prior controlled pollutants in the estuarine sediments of the Tangxi River.