LIN Chengqi1,3, CHEN Fenghua1, HU Gongren2, YU Ruilian2, HUANG Huabin1,2
(1. College of Environment and Public Health, Xiamen Huaxia University, Xiamen Fujian 361024, China;
2. College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen Fujian 361021, China;
3. Key Laboratory of Fujian Universities for Environmental Monitoring, Xiamen Fujian 361024, China)
Abstract: In order to apportion sources of heavy metals in surface sediments of the Jiulong River Estuary, contents of fifteen heavy metals in surface sediments were determined and the Positive matrix factorization model (PMF) was used. The results showed that, compared with their background values in soils of the Fujian province, most heavy metals were enriched in the surface sediments and had different variation levels in the spatial distribution in the study area. Co, Rb and Th showed low variations; Be, V, Ni, Zn, Sr, Mo, Cd, Pb, Hg and U showed moderate variations; Cr and Cu showed high variations. This study showed that results of the PMF model were reasonable and met the research needs, since predicted values of the PMF model were consistent with measured values and results of the PMF model were consistent with those of the Pb isotope trace model. The results of PMF indicated that there were four major potential heavy metal sources, natural source, fossil fuel combustion, agricultural activities and mining activities, whose contribution rates were 35.6%, 32.5%, 11.2% and 20.7%, respectively. The natural source contributed most to Mo, U, V, Zn, Th and Rb with the contribution rates of 60.6%, 52.4%, 49.1%, 47.3%, 45.9% and 38.7%, respectively, the fossil fuel combustion contributed most to Be, V, Cr, Sr and Hg with the contribution rates of 40.7%, 46.6%, 62.0%, 50.8% and 43.3%, respectively, the agricultural activities contributed most to Cd with the contribution rate of 41.6%, and the mining activities contributed most to Ni, Cu and Zn with the contribution rates of 45.2%, 44.3% and 46.0%, respectively.
Key words: positive matrix factorization (PMF); source apportionment; sediment; heavy metal; Jiulong River Estuary
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT Vol.48, No.4, Tot No.336, 2020, Page 443-451
