An Assessment of the Heavy Metal Contamination, Risk, and Source Identification in the Sediments from the Liangtan River, China

Teng-Fei Ma (), Jin Wu, Yi-Chang Yu, Ting-Ting Chen, Yuan Yao, Wei-Ling Liao, Li Feng () and Jiang Pan
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Teng-Fei Ma: Water Environment Engineering Technology Innovation Center, Chongqing Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401336, China
Jin Wu: Water Environment Engineering Technology Innovation Center, Chongqing Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401336, China
Yi-Chang Yu: Water Environment Engineering Technology Innovation Center, Chongqing Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401336, China
Ting-Ting Chen: Water Environment Engineering Technology Innovation Center, Chongqing Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401336, China
Yuan Yao: Water Environment Engineering Technology Innovation Center, Chongqing Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401336, China
Wei-Ling Liao: Water Environment Engineering Technology Innovation Center, Chongqing Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401336, China
Li Feng: Water Environment Engineering Technology Innovation Center, Chongqing Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401336, China
Jiang Pan: Water Environment Engineering Technology Innovation Center, Chongqing Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401336, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: The contents of six heavy metals (HMs: Cr, Cu, As, Pb, Cd, and Zn) in sediments from the upper reaches of Liangtan River (LTR) were determined. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (RI) were employed to assess the HM contamination in the sediments. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis (PCC), principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA) were used to infer the sources of HMs. The average concentrations of Cr, Cu, As, Pb, Cd, and Zn were 44.63 ± 25.36, 31.40 ± 22.56, 4.66 ± 2.07, 29.20 ± 27.73, 0.25 ± 0.06, and 68.87 ± 104.62 μg/g, respectively. The Igeo indicated that the Cd contamination level was unpolluted to moderately polluted. The mean PLI was 0.97 ± 0.53, suggesting that the sediments were unpolluted, but close to moderately contaminated. The RI values indicated that the potential environmental risk of HMs in the sediments of the LTR was low. The results of PCC, PCA, and CA suggested that the Cr, Cu, As, and Zn in the sediment may mainly originate from natural processes; Pb mainly comes from human industrial and agricultural production activities as well as natural processes; and the main source of Cd may be the production activities of the surrounding chemical enterprises and chemical fertilizer application in farmland.

Keywords: Liangtan River; sediment; heavy metal; risk assessment; source identification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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