Distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in soil in the Yellow River Basin (Heze - Tai 'an section)

The presence of heavy metals in soil significantly impacts human agriculture and livelihood. The Yellow Rive plays a crucial role in the country's economic and social development as well as ecological security within its basin. After conducting measurements on the distribution of heavy metals As, Hg, Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr in the soil of Heze - Tai 'an section of the Yellow River Basin, the degree of soil heavy metal pollution in the investigation area was analyzed and evaluated using potential ecological risk index. The anal- ysis revealed that the concentration ranges of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, As and Hg were 0.054-1.109, 22.40-427.28, 6.00-108.40, 9-58.1, 1.5-46.8 and 0.002-0.706 mg/kg, respectively. The average value of the individual eco- logical risk index is in the following order: Cd > As > Hg > Cu > Pb > Cr. The ecological risk of Cu, Pb and Cr is low, while the risk of Cd and As is moderate, which is mainly caused by coal mining and chemical enterprises.