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Evaluation assessment and source analysis of heavy metals in sediment near the stone coal mining area in the lower reaches of the Zi River,China
Received:November 30, 2023  
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KeyWord:heavy metal;Zi River;sediment;stone coal;source identification;pollution assessment
Author NameAffiliationE-mail
DAI Xinyue Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Technical Center for Soil, Agriculture, and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China 
 
SHEN Zhicheng Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Technical Center for Soil, Agriculture, and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China 
 
HU Hualing Technical Center for Soil, Agriculture, and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China  
SHI Huading Technical Center for Soil, Agriculture, and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China shihuading@tcare-mee.cn 
HE Zexin Technical Center for Soil, Agriculture, and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China  
LI Li Technical Center for Soil, Agriculture, and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China  
LIU Anfu Technical Center for Soil, Agriculture, and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China  
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Abstract:
      In this study, the downstream area of a shale coal mining site located along the Zi River was selected as the research area to analyze the spatial distribution, pollution levels, and sources of heavy metals in the river sediment of the mining region. A total of 28 surface sediment samples were collected, and the concentrations of eight heavy metals were determined:cadmium(Cd), chromium(Cr), mercury(Hg), arsenic(As), lead(Pb), copper(Cu), nickel(Ni), and zinc(Zn). The Geo-Accumulation Index and Potential Ecological Risk Index were employed to assess the level of heavy metal pollution. Various methods, such as Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and Positive Matrix Factorization(PMF), were applied to identify the sources of heavy metal pollution. The results indicated that apart from Cr, the median concentrations of all heavy metals were higher than the background values of the sediment in the Dongting Lake Basin. Specifically, Cd and As demonstrated severe contamination, with the percentage of sampling points exceeding the risk screening values specified in the Soil Environmental Quality Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Agricultural LandTrial)(GB 15618—2018) being 96.55% and 58.62%, respectively. The Geo-Accumulation Index and Potential Ecological Risk Index analysis showed that Cd and Hg were the most severe pollutants in the sediment and Cr the least. The main sources of heavy metals in the sediment were identified as shale coal mining, mixed sources from transportation and agriculture, natural sources, and atmospheric deposition, contributing 33.8%, 20.4%, 17.7%, and 28.1%, respectively. In summary, the sediments in the study area are seriously affected by the mining of stone coal, leading to the serious exceedance of Cd content. Therefore, pollution management and control should be strengthened.