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Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments of Water Bodies Surrounding Gaoping Industrial Park of Zhongshan City
Received:March 24, 2015  
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KeyWord:heavy metals;sediment;pollution;ecological risk;electroplating industrial park
Author NameAffiliationE-mail
HAN Qian South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China  
ZHANG Li-juan South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China zhanglijuan@scies.org 
HU Guo-cheng South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China  
YU Yun-jiang South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China  
CHEN Mian-biao South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China  
XIANG Ming-deng South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China  
YU Lin South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China  
HUANG Chu-shan South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China  
SHI Ya-li Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China  
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Abstract:
      Heavy metals accumulated in sediments could cause the secondary water pollution. The aim of this study was to investigate pollution of heavy metals in surface sediments of the water bodies surrounding a typical electroplating industrial park and to assess their ecological risks. A total of 20 sediment samples around Gaoping industrial area in Zhongshan City were collected for determining the concentrations of five heavy metals(Pb, Cd, Cr, As and Hg). Geoaccumulation index and Hakanson potential ecological risk index were respectively used to assess the pollution and potential ecological risks of these metals in the sediments. The concentrations of heavy metals in most of the sediment samples were higher than the reference values except As. Their concentrations decreased in order:Cr> Pb> As> Cd> Hg. The geoaccumulation index indicated that pollution degree of heavy metals in the sediments ranged from high to light levels, with Pb> Cr> Cd> Hg> As. A significant positive correlation(P< 0.05) was present between Cr and Hg, Cd and Hg, and As and Hg. The potential ecological risks of heavy metals were low to moderate, with 55% of the sediments at moderate levels. For individual metals, the potential ecological risk was in the following decreasing order: Cd> Hg> Pb> Cr> As.