Ecological Risk Assessment of Sediment Heavy Metals Pollution in Anhui Reach of Huaihe River

Objective To know the heavy metal pollution in the sediment in the Anhui reach of Huaihe. Methods In March,2007,the surface samples of sediment (0 to 20 cm) were collected in 6 sampling sections in Anhui reach of Huaihe River, including 3～5 sites in each section. The concentration of Cu,Pb,Zn,Cr,Cd,As,Hg was determined. The single factor index,integrated pollution index and potential ecological risk index presented by Hakanson were used to assess the ecological risk of heavy metals. Results The results showed that the contamination level of surface sediments was light except Zn, Cu, it ranked as ZnCuAsCdPbCrHg. The results of ecological risk assessment revealed that except in a few sections, the potential ecological risk was light, the order of potential ecological risk was CdHgAsCuPbCrZn. Conclusion Human activities developed along the Huaihe River does not influence the concentration of heavy metals in the sediment, no serious contamination of heavy metals in the sediment is found in the present investigation.