Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (2): 411-420.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.02.12

• Soil Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Enrichment content and ecological risk assessment of heavy metal in surface soil around Qinghai Lake

WANG Ruojin(),SHAO Tianjie(),WEI Peiru   

  1. School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, Shaanxi, China
  • Received:2020-07-29 Revised:2020-09-12 Online:2021-03-15 Published:2021-04-25
  • Contact: Tianjie SHAO E-mail:mengj@snnu.edu.cn;tjshao@snnu.edu.cn

Abstract:

To study the heavy metal enrichment content and ecological risk in the surface soil around Qinghai Lake, 87 groups of soil samples were collected by grid method, and the concentrations of the heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni) were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The Nemero pollution index, pollution load index, correlation analysis, and factor analyses were used to determine the content of heavy metals, pollution degree, ecological risk, and pollution sources. The results showed that: Cd and Pb pollution in the surface soil around Qinghai Lake was the most serious, followed by Cr, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni. Compared with farmland and sandy land, heavy metal pollution in grassland surface soil was more serious. According to the pollution load index, the total amount of heavy metals in the soils of the study area did not reach the pollution level, but some sampling points were seriously polluted. The Nemero pollution index analysis implied that the whole study area was at the level of heavy pollution. The single pollution index exceeded the standard in different degrees. The pollution degree was Cd > Pb > As > Cu > Zn > Ni > Cr in turn. The potential ecological risk index analysis implied that the comprehensive potential ecological risk of the whole study area was medium, whereby the contribution rate of Cd and As was close to 80%, and some areas had high potential ecological risks. The correlation and factor analyses indicated that the correlation among Cr, Pb, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni were significant, and the pollution degree was the same, which was likely to be from the same source. In conclusion, heavy metal pollution of soil had occurred in the area around Qinghai Lake and elicited some potential ecological risks. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate monitoring and control measures.

Key words: soil heavy metals, sources of pollution, ecological risk assessment, Qinghai Lake