Analysis of Heavy Metal Sources in Xutuan Mining Area Based on APCS-MLR and PMF Model

The present study aims to determine the concentrations and forms of Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), and Arsenic (As) in water and sediments of the Xutuan mining area. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and ecological risk assessment coding (RAC) methods were used to assess heavy metal pollution levels and ecological risks in sediments. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and the absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model were used to quantitatively analyze the sources of heavy metals in the evaluated sediments. The results showed good water quality in the mining area. Cu, Cr, Zn, and As in the sediments were mainly in the residual form, while Cd and Pb were mainly in the organic matter combined form. The Igeo and RAC results showed that the Cd pollution degree and ecological risk were higher in the sediments. The APCS-MLR and PMF models analyzed the contributions of natural sources (72.5% and 25.1%) and anthropogenic sources, respectively, while the PMF further distinguished the contributions of coal mining (26.4%), agricultural (21.44%), and traffic (27.05%) sources.