An analysis of the sources of heavy metals in soils of eastern Hebei plain

Abstract：This paper has conducted a comparative study of the content of eight heavy metals in surface layer and deep layer soils. The sources of heavy metals were analyzed by factor analysis. Seven main factors were selected, and diagrams of factor scores were drawn. The results show that Cr comes from two sources： one is soil parent material and the other is mining pollution. Agricultural pollution is the main source of Hg in eastern Hebei plain, while in some areas, Hg is mostly derived from metallurgy and traffic. Cd is deposited in Tanghai County by river transportation, Pb results from mining pollution, and As, Cu, Zn, Ni are rooted in local natural background.