Heavy
metal investigation and risk assessment along
the
Le'An River from non-ferrous metal mining and
smelting
activities in Poyang, China
J.
Zhang1,2, L. Han1, Y. Ji2*, J. Wei1,2,
G. Cai1,3, G. Gao1, J.Wu4 and Z.Yao2
1Ministry of Education
Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes,
Hohai University, Nanjing, 210 098, PR China
2College of Water
Conservancy and Ecological Engineering, Nanchang Institute of Technology,
Nanchang, 330 099, China
3Jiang Xi
Engineering Research Center of Water Engineering Safety and Resources
Efficient Utilization, Nanchang, 330 099, China
4Shanghai Academy
of Environmental Sciences, Shanghai, 200 233, China
*Corresponding Author
E-mail: jiyong@nit.edu.cn
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Key
words
Le?An Basin
Mining activities
Non-ferrous metals
Risk assessment
Sediments
Publication Data
Paper received : 19.06.2017
Revised received : 08.11.2017
Re-revised received :
29.12.2017
Accepted : 16.01.2018 ?????
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Abstract
Aim: In this study,
statistical methods and visualization were used to study the distribution of
heavy metals and the potential hazards to the aquatic ecosystem along the
main waterway of the Le'An Basin. This waterway has been severely polluted
with heavy metals as a result of mining activities. ??????
Methodology:
A
total of 22 surface sediment samples were collected from sampling sites in
four typical areas representing the entire Le'An river. We compared the
measured results to the background values. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo),
integrated pollution load index (PLI) and sediment quality standard combined
with statistical methods were used to assess the degree of pollution, their
potential sources and ecosystem risk level.?? ????
Results: Sites near Shanggukou Bridge and downstream of the
intersection of the Le'An and Jishui Rivers had the highest pollution levels
of Cu, Zn, Cd and As. In addition to the background areas (BA), both Igeo
values and PLI indicated that all the sites were class 4, 5 and 6 types.
Upstream areas (UA) and middle stream areas (MA) were considered to be highly
polluted. Based on the geochemical partitioning analysis and the ratios
between secondary phase and primary phase (RSP) values, the results
revealed that higher concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cd and As in the UA and MA
were likely to be harmful to the aquatic organisms in these areas. Principal
Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analyses (HCA) revealed
that Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr and As were sourced from many complicated
anthropogenic sources. ????????????
Interpretation:
Metallic
discharges from non-ferrous mine plants and township enterprises contributed
the largest portion of sediment pollutants. The visualization technique of
Chernoff faces were useful for representing and interpreting the
multidimensional data.
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