Heavy Metals in Sediment from Bei Shan River: Distribution, Relationship with Soil Characteristics and Multivariate Assessment of Contamination Sources.

The concentrations and correlation between some heavy metals (Mn, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb) measured in sediments in part of Bei shan River near uranium mill tailings were studied. The mean concentration of Cr (57.7 mg/g) was more than the mean values established for uncultivated areas worldwide (46.3 mg/g). Negative correlations with pH and positive correlations with organic matter have been observed for most of elements analyzed in this study. Correlation analysis showed that all metals except Cr are highly correlated (p ≤ 0.01, p ≤ 0.05). This may indicate the different origin or controlling factors of Cr in analyzed sediments. Cluster analysis highlighted the lithogenic origin of heavy metals (Mn, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb) and pointed out the primary input of Cr from anthropogenic sources.