Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Sediments of the Fenghe River by the Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation Model and Multivariate Statistical Methods

Concentrations of heavy metals in 74 sediment samples from the Fenghe River, which originates from the north of the Qinling Mountains and flows through Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, were characterized by employing geographic information system (GIS) mapping, fuzzy synthetic assessment, and multivariate statistical analysis to determine the enrichment characteristics of heavy metals as well as their potential risks of pollution to sediments. Al, Cd, and Co were the major pollutants, with a high enrichment factor (EF) value. Heavy metal concentrations from samples near the paper plant were maintained at a high level. Significant enrichment of Al, Ba, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Co was found in the midstream and downstream, while high concentration of Cu occurred in the headwater stream. Based on the cluster and principal component analyses, sediment metals mainly came from the paper plants, agronomic practices, natural sources, and tourism, with a contribution of 51.59%, 23.01%, 14.21%, and 9.88%, respectively. Sediment pollution assessment explored using fuzzy theory based on the entropy method and toxicity coefficient showed that 26, 32, and 11 sites fell into Class III (slightly polluted), Class IV (moderately polluted), and Class V (heavily polluted), respectively, and their scores of membership degree in the polluted level were on the rise, suggesting a relatively high degree of sediment metal pollution in the study area. Closely related to the excessive industrial and agricultural applications, metal pollution in sediment is necessary to be addressed in the Fenghe River.