Heavy metal concentrations in water and soil along the Hun River, Liaoning, China

Water and soil samples were collected along the Hun River to study the concentrations of Cr, Cu and Zn during the dry season, medium season and wet season in 2013. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Zn in Hun River were 0.0010 to 0.1298, 0.0057 to 0.1533 and 0.0162 to 0.5004 mg/L, respectively. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Zn in soil from around the Dahuofang reservoir were 0.0033 to 0.2149, 0.0054 to 0.2218 and 0.0135 to 0.3544 mg/g, respectively. The results indicated that the concentrations of Cr, Cu and Zn in water from the Hun River and soil from around the Dahuofang reservoir were significantly different at different sample stations and seasons. The pollution indexes of Cr, Cu and Zn in water and soil along the Hun River were calculated using principal component analysis in order to enact future measures against heavy metal pollution. According to the pollution characteristics of heavy metals along the Hun River, a treatment strategy was formulated to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution along the Hun River.