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Distribution, risk assessment, and statistical source identification of heavy metals in aqueous system from three adjacent regions of the Yellow River

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Abstract

Distribution of five heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) and some physicochemical variables were studied from ten sites (S1–S10) in filtered water, suspended particles, and sediment samples from Gansu Province, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions of the Yellow River in Northern China. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations in filtered water were relatively lower, while they were higher and approximated in suspended particles and sediment samples. Metal chemical fractions showed that high proportions of Cd were found in the exchangeable fractions, while others likely to be existed in lithology. Heavy metal pollution index (HPI) indicated that the quality of filtered water was relatively better, and the potential ecological risk index (PERI) revealed that only Cd has the higher ecological risk in suspended particles and sediment samples, which is accordance with the results obtained by the chemical fractions analysis; at the same time, the higher ecological risks existed in S3, S6, S9, and S10 in suspended particles and sediment samples due to the waste emission of a variety of industries. Results of cluster analysis (CA) indicated that contamination sources in the sediment samples were from both natural processes and anthropogenic activities.

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Acknowledgments

Here the authors would like to thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21177163), 111Project B08044, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Food Environment and Public Health, Minzu University of China (10301–01404026), First-class University First Class Academic Program of Minzu University of China (YLDX01013), and Graduate Student Scientific Research Innovation Project of Minzu University of China (K2014042).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China

    Xiaoling Ma, Hang Zuo, Jingjun Liu & Ying Liu

  2. Beijing Engineering Research Center of Food Environment and Public Health, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China

    Ying Liu

  3. China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing, 100012, China

    Hang Zuo

  4. China National Cleaner Production Center of Ministry of Environmental Protection, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China

    Jingjun Liu

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  1. Xiaoling Ma
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  2. Hang Zuo
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  3. Jingjun Liu
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  4. Ying Liu
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Correspondence to Ying Liu.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Highlights

● The heavy metal pollution degree of the Yellow River follows the order of Inner Mongolia > Ningxia > Gansu.

● Cd is a non-negligible metal which may pose higher threat to aquatic biota based on the metal chemical fraction and PERI.

● Pb and Cu show the intimate correlation among the three systems.

● The contamination sources of heavy metal in the sediments are from both natural processes and anthropogenic activities according to CA.

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Ma, X., Zuo, H., Liu, J. et al. Distribution, risk assessment, and statistical source identification of heavy metals in aqueous system from three adjacent regions of the Yellow River. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 8963–8975 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6088-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6088-4

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