POLLUTION EVALUATION AND SOURCE APPORTIONMENT OF HEAVY METALS IN SOILS FROM PLANNING AREA OF NANCHANG, CHINA

To explore the pollution level and potential sources of heavy metals in the Nanchang planning area, the content levels of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As, and Hg in the soil of the study area were investigated. Then, the pollution level was assessed based on the methods of the geo-accumulation index, the pollution load index, and the potential ecological index. In addition, multivariate statistical analysis methods of Pearson's correlation analysis, principal components analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis were used to explore further the potential sources of heavy metal elements in the soil. The results show that the average concentration ranked in the order of Zn (78.089 mg.kg-1) > Cr (62.827 mg.kg-1) > Pb (44.469 mg.kg-1) > Cu (25.339 mg.kg-1) > Ni (21.363 mg.kg-1) > As (9.592 mg.kg-1) > Cd (0.188 mg.kg-1) > Hg (0.14 mg.kg-1). Furthermore, the average concentration of all pollutants was higher than the local natural background values, except that of As. The results of the pollution assessment illustrate that the soil is at the level of moderate pollution and moderate risk. Cd and Pb contribute to soil pollution in the study area. Furthermore, multivariate statistical analysis indicated that Cd, Zn, and Pb are under the first category, As is under the second, Hg is under the third, and Cr, Ni, and Cu are under the fourth. Their potential sources are mainly industrial and transportation, agriculture, mineral, and natural.