Contamination, Ecological Risk and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in the Surface Sediments in the Hailar River, the Upper Source of the Erguna River between China and Russia

Yufeng Xie (), Xiaodong Huo, Chuanhai Hu and Yuqiang Tao
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Yufeng Xie: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Xiaodong Huo: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Chuanhai Hu: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Yuqiang Tao: College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing 210024, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: The concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) in 17 surface sediment samples from the Hailar River, the upper source of the Ergun River, which is the boundary river between China and Russia, were analyzed. Traceability and cause analysis of heavy metals in sediment were carried out by correlation analysis and principal component analysis. The results showed that the concentrations of Hg and Cd in sediments exceeded the soil background values. Due to the high biological toxicity factor of Hg, Hg is the highest potential ecological risk factor in the Hailar River and its tributary the Yimin River. The sources of Hg and As were likely to come from human activities including mining, coal burning and animal husbandry; other HMs, especially Zn and Cr, mainly come from mining and natural factors. Due to the high level of urbanization and more agricultural activities, the pollution potential of Cd, Hg and Pb in the Yimin River and the lower reaches of the Hailar River was greater. The results of this study will help to understand the distribution and pollution of heavy metals in river sediments in the basin and provide management support for China’s local environmental management departments and relevant national departments of China.

Keywords: border river basin; sediments; Hailar River; heavy metal pollution; 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
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