Contamination Evaluation and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in the Sediments from the Lishui River Watershed, Southern China

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 16; no. 3; p. 336
• Main Authors: Shen, Fang, Mao, Longjiang, Sun, Runxia, Du, Jijing, Tan, Zhihai, Ding, Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.01.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Agricultural production; Agriculture; Bioaccumulation; Child; China; Chromium; Cluster Analysis; Cobalt; Contamination; Copper; Ecology; Environmental health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollution - adverse effects; Environmental Pollution - analysis; Environmental risk; Fluvial sediments; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Health risks; Heavy metals; Humans; Industry; Laboratories; Lead; Manganese; Metal concentrations; Metals; Metals, Heavy - adverse effects; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Mining; Multivariate analysis; Pollution; Pollution index; Pollution load; Precipitation; Risk Assessment; Rivers; Sediment load; Sediment pollution; Sediments; Soil; Soil erosion; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Spatial Analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Zinc; China; Dongting Lake; contamination evaluation; the Lishui River; source identification; heavy metals; surface sediments
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030336

Seven heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb) were measured in surface sediments from the Lishui River watershed, an area with increased soil erosion in China. The mean concentrations of heavy metals were 61.20 mg/kg (Cr), 757.15 mg/kg (Mn), 9.39 mg/kg (Co), 25.31 mg/kg (Ni), 22.84 mg/kg (Cu), 91.66 mg/kg (Zn), and 40.19 mg/kg (Pb), respectively. The spatial distribution of heavy metals was site-specific, exhibiting a remarkably high level in the sampling stations with intense agricultural activities (Lixian) and industrial activities (Jinshi). Contamination indexes including contamination factor, pollution load index, nemerow multi-factor index, potential ecological risk index, and human health risk were used to assess the pollution degree of the river sediments. The results indicated the pollution degree of heavy metals decreased in the order of Mn>Pb>Zn>Cr>Cu>Ni>Co. Heavy metals resulted in non-pollution to moderate pollution, with low ecological risk and an acceptable carcinogenic risk caused by Cr and Ni for children and adults. Person's correlation analysis and principal component analysis, coupled with cluster analysis, revealed that the sediments from the Lishui River were mainly influenced by two sources. Cr, Co, Ni, and Cu were mainly derived from natural sources, while Mn, Zn, and Pb originated from agricultural and industrial activities, mining, and vehicular traffic.