Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port based on modified potential ecological risk index
(1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China;
2. Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University),
Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China;
3. Department of Business Administration, Guangxi University of Finance and Economics,
Nanning 530003, China)
2. Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University),
Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China;
3. Department of Business Administration, Guangxi University of Finance and Economics,
Nanning 530003, China)
Abstract: Modified potential ecological risk index (MRI) was proposed based on the potential ecological risk index (RI) and risk assessment code (RAC) by modifying an index. The modified index was relevant to the chemical speciation of heavy metals. Xiawan Port, a typical region contaminated by industrial production, was selected as a case study area. The total concentrations and chemical speciation of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port were analyzed. The experimental data indicate that Xiawan Port is seriously polluted by heavy metals, especially by Cd. The risks of heavy metals are evaluated by RI, RAC and MRI, respectively. The resluts of MRI show that the risks of heavy metals are in the decreasing order of Cd>Pb>Cu>Zn. Comparison of results by different methods reveals that MRI integrates the characters of RI and RAC. MRI is recognized to be useful for risk managemnt of heavy metals in sediments.
Key words: heavy metals; chemical speciation; modified potential ecological risk index; sediments; Xiawan Port