Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal pollution in river and lake sediments using face graph and index of geoaccumulation

Surface sedimental samples were collected from(1)Le An River in Jiangxi Province,south of China,and(2)several lakes located in southwest of Germany.Concentrations of heavymetals in these samples were determined.Moreover,the situations of heavy metal pollution in tworegions were comprehensively assessed by combined index of geoaccumulation with visualized multi-variate graphical method——modified Chernoff Face Graph.Face graphs intuitively demonstratedstrong heavy metal contamination in Le An River,especially copper pollution.However,in lakes’sedimental samples,contamination of other heavy metals showed mild or clean except cadmium andchromium.