Heavy metal concentrations and speciation in riverine sediments and the risks posed in three urban belts in the Haihe Basin

- A comparative assessment of heavy metals in urban riverine sediments was conducted.
- Significant inputs of Cu and Zn from anthropogenic sources were found.
- Cr, Cu, and Zn were found to be mobile and to pose ecological risks.
- The pollution of Cr and Zn is related to the economic development based on PRCA.

Heavy metal (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) pollution and the risks posed by the heavy metals in riverine sediments in a mountainous urban-belt area (MB), a mountain-plain urban-belt area (MPB), and a plain urban-belt area (PB) in the Haihe Basin, China, were assessed. The enrichment factors indicated that the sediments were more polluted with Cu and Zn than with the other metals, especially in the MPB. The sediments in the MPB were strongly affected by Cu and Zn inputs from anthropogenic sources. The risk assessment codes and individual contamination factors showed that Zn was mobile and posed ecological risks, the exchangeable fractions being 21.1%, 21.2%, and 19.2% of the total Zn concentrations in the samples from the MB, MPB, and PB, respectively. Cr, Cu, and Zn in the sediments from the MPB were potentially highly bioavailable because the non-residual fractions were 56.2%, 54.9%, and 56.5%, respectively, of the total concentrations. The potential risks posed by the heavy metals (determined from the chemical fractions of the heavy metals) in the different areas generally decreased in the order MPB > MB > PB. Pictorial representation of cluster analysis results showed that urbanization development level could cause Cr and Zn pollution in the urban riverine sediments to become more severe.