The concentration of heavy metals and soil properties in fifty urban garden soils of Szeged (SE Hungary) were determined to evaluate the cumulative impacts of urbanization and cultivation on these soils. Using two enrichment factors (EFs) (based on reference horizon; Ti as reference element) and multivariate statistical analysis (PCA), the origin of the studied elements was defined.According to statistical coincidence of EFs confirmed by t-test, anthropogenic enrichment of Cu (EF = 4), Zn (EF = 2.7) and Pb (EF = 2.5) was significant in topsoils. Moreover, PCA also revealed the geogenic origin of Ni, Co, Cr and As and differentiated two groups of the anthropogenic metals [Pb, Zn] [Cu]. Spatial distribution of the metals visualized by GIS reflected the traffic origin of Pb; while based on ANOVA, the anthropogenic source of Cu is relevant (mainly pesticides) and there is a statistically significant difference in its concentration depending on land use.

The objective of our study was to determine the trace metal accumulation rates in the Misten bog, Hautes-Fagnes, Belgium, and assess these in relation to established histories of atmospheric emissions from anthropogenic sources. To address these aims we analyzed trace metals and metalloids (Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Sb, Cr, Co, V, Cd and Zn), as well as Pb isotopes, using XRF, Q-ICP-MS and MC-ICP-MS, respectively in two 40-cm peat sections, spanning the last 600 yr. The temporal increase of metal fluxes from the inception of the Industrial Revolution to the present varies by a factor of 5–50, with peak values found between AD 1930 and 1990. A cluster analysis combined with Pb isotopic composition allows the identification of the main sources of Pb and by inference of the other metals, which indicates that coal consumption and metallurgical activities were the predominant sources of pollution during the last 600 years.

Zlatna, Romania is the site of longtime mining/smelting operations which have resulted in widespread metal pollution of the entire area. Previous studies have documented the contamination using traditional methods involving soil sample collection, digestion, and quantification via inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy or atomic absorption. However, field portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (PXRF) can accurately quantify contamination in-situ, in seconds. A PXRF spectrometer was used to scan 69 soil samples in Zlatna across multiple land use types. Each site was georeferenced with data inputted into a geographic information system for high resolution spatial interpolations. These models were laid over contemporary aerial imagery to evaluate the extent of pollution on an individual elemental basis. Pb, As, Co, Cu, and Cd exceeded governmental action limits in >50% of the sites scanned. The use of georeferenced PXRF data offers a powerful new tool for in-situ assessment of contaminated soils.

A series of representative street dust samples were collected from a heavily industrialized city, Zhuzhou, in central China, with the aim to investigate the spatial distribution and pollution status of 17 trace metal/metalloid elements. Concentrations of twelve elements (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Hg, As, Sb, In, Bi, Tl, Ag and Ga) were distinctly amplified by atmospheric deposition resulting from a large scale Pb/Zn smelter located in the northwest fringe of the city, and followed a declining trend towards the city center. Three metals (W, Mo and Co) were enriched in samples very close to a hard alloy manufacturing plant, while Ni and Cr appeared to derive predominantly from natural sources. Other industries and traffic had neglectable effects on the accumulation of observed elements. Cd, In, Zn, Ag and Pb were the five metal/metalloids with highest pollution levels and the northwestern part of city is especially affected by heavy metal pollution.

The main objective of this study was to test water samples collected from 10 locations in the Dilovası area (a town in the Kocaeli region of Turkey) for heavy metal contamination and to classify the heavy metal (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Hg) contents in water samples using chemometric methods. The heavy metals in the water samples were identified using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). To ascertain the relationship among the water samples and their possible sources, the correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA) were used as classification techniques. About 10 water samples were classified into five groups using PCA. A very similar grouping was obtained using CA.

Eight metals in sediment samples at 15 sites from the Shantou Bay were analyzed with BCR sequential extraction protocol to obtain the metal distribution patterns in the bay. The results showed that the heavy metal pollutions in upper bay were more severe than in middle and down reaches of the bay. Both total and non-residual fractions of metals with a exception of Mn showed a seaward decrease trend. More than 54% of the total concentrations of Cd, Mn and Zn existed in the acid soluble fraction. Ni, Co, Cr and Fe mainly (more than 51%) occurred in the residual fraction. While Pb and Cu dominantly presented in the reducible (50%) and oxidable (33%) fraction respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the heavy metals in the non-residual fractions resulted from largely anthropogenic sources, including river input, city runoff and port discharge. These contributing sources are highlighted by cluster analysis.

The biogeochemistry of trace metals in nearshore sediments and mussel was studied at 15 stations along a 1000km long transect paralleling the west coast of the Gulf of California (GOC). Total trace metal (Me) and enrichment factor (EFMe) values in sediments were low due to negligible anthropogenic influence in the region. Past copper mining, however, near Santa Rosalia caused concentrations of Pb, Mn, Co, Zn and Cu which were 10–3.3×103 times greater than the average for the rest of the transect. Mussels also showed relatively high trace metal concentrations at the Santa Rosalia stations, but the variability in the spatial distribution was low and had undefined trends. Our results show that, with the exception of Co and Cu, the contamination caused by the copper mine affected sediments to a greater extent than mussels.

Recently, within the framework of European directives, the importance of marine monitoring programs has increased. In this study, a dense sampling grid was applied for a detailed assessment of the metal contents of surface sediments and suspended particulate matter from the Jade Bay, one of the tidal basins in the southern North Sea. The local lithogenic background was defined and compared with average shale, a common reference material. Based on the calculated non-lithogenic fraction and a cluster analysis, the metals are distributed in two groups: (i) elements of mainly natural origin (Co, Cr, and a major portion of Cd) and (ii) elements associated with anthropogenic activity (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn). However, even the metals of the second group are enriched by at most a factor of two relative to the local background, suggesting minimal anthropogenic impact. Spatial distribution maps show that the harbor area of Wilhelmshaven may be a particularly important source of metal.

Total concentrations, chemical fractions by BCR procedure and enrichment factors of nine potential harmful elements (V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd and Pb) in surface sediments of the East China Sea (ECS) were investigated. Spatial distributions illustrated that PHEs (potential harmful elements) were mainly from the Changjiang River and the Jiangsu coastal current, except Pb which was influenced by atmospheric input. Sediments in the ECS were moderately polluted with Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu according to their enrichment factors (EFs). Distributions of EFs and labile fractions revealed that anthropogenic Cd and Cu were mainly input though the Changjiang, Pb pollutant was delivered from the Changjiang and atmosphere, while Zn was impacted by terrestrial pollution from the Changjiang and the Hangzhou Bay. Budget calculation showed that the Changjiang contributed 82–90% of PHE influxes. Thirty-eight to 77% of PHEs were buried in sediment, mainly along the inner shelf.

In the heavily industrialized Masan Bay of southern coast, Korea, the potential harmful effects of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn, and Hg) were evaluated in terms of the pollution load index (PLI) and ecological risk assessment index (ERI) methods, and the results obtained were considered alongside the health of the macrobenthic fauna communities. The results revealed that the bay sediments, especially in the inner bay and the outfall area of a sewage treatment plant, are exposed to moderate to serious levels of metal pollution. Hg and Cd contributed the most to the potential toxicity response indices in sediments recently deposited in the bay. The potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in the bay was highlighted by the use of the benthic biological pollution index (BPI), suggesting that the ERI is a useful toxicity response index, which can quantify the overall ecological risk level to a target environment.