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Environmental baseline evaluation of lead in shallow groundwater based on statistical and spatial outlier identification

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Abstract

A series of methods have been applied for evaluating the environmental baseline—especially on a regional scale—because of its importance for local environmental management. However, most of the methods have been statistical in nature, and spatial variability has not been considered simultaneously. In this study, the combined use of statistical and spatial methods has been carried out to analyse lead concentrations in the shallow groundwater in the urban area of Suzhou, northern Anhui Province, China. The environmental baseline of lead in the shallow groundwater has been evaluated to be 3.836–8.240 μg/l after removal of either statistical or spatial outliers. The results are similar to those obtained by model-based objective methods, and further demonstrate that the combination method is more reasonable for environmental baseline evaluation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41302274 and 41173106), and the National College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program of China (201210379026).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Suzhou University, 71 Bianhe Road, Suzhou, 234000, People’s Republic of China

    Linhua Sun

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  1. Linhua Sun
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Correspondence to Linhua Sun.

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Sun, L. Environmental baseline evaluation of lead in shallow groundwater based on statistical and spatial outlier identification. Chin. J. Geochem. 34, 416–421 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-015-0050-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-015-0050-x

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