Ecological risk evaluation of heavy metal pollution in soil based on simulation

Heavy metals pollution of surface soils is a major global issue. To assess the ecological risk caused by heavy metals, 280 samples were collected in Chiping, Shandong Province, China. Eight different heavy metals in surface soils (Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Zn, and As) were analyzed in this study. The author got the realization of the eight kinds of heavy metals respectively based on sequential simulation methods. Next, the ecological risk of the region of heavy metals was assessed using the Hakanson potential danger index. The result showed that Hg was the main heavy metal problem in ChiPing. The potential ecological risk caused by Hg amounts to 200 on the Hakanson potential danger index, which was classified as ‘high.’ Cd has a potential ecological risk of nearly 72, which was classified as ‘medium.’ The comprehensive potential ecological risk caused by all eight different heavy metals was 278.34. Therefore, the heavy metal pollution of the study area was associated with a ‘medium’ potential ecological risk. Finally, the result was analyzed based on the land use map. We found that the highest integrated potential ecological risk area was located in plough land.