Comparison of arsenic and heavy metals contamination between existing wetlands and wetlands created by river diversion in the Yellow River estuary, China

Samples were collected at 71 sites in the Yellow River Delta Natural Reserve in December 2010 to represent soil conditions before and after the Yellow River (YR) diversion. The As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ni concentrations were measured to determine metal contamination levels. Results suggest that Cd concentrations were significantly higher after the YR diversion than before. The As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn soil contamination indices did not exceed contamination levels, although the heavy metal content increased after the YR diversion. The mean concentrations of these heavy metals were lower than the Class I criteria. Correlation analysis shows significant correlations between As and Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations both before and after the YR diversion. However, no significant correlations were observed between heavy metal concentration and pH before the diversion, and no heavy metal concentration was correlated with salinity. The principal component analysis indicates that these trace elements, including As, were closely correlated with each other and therefore likely originated from shared pollution sources before the diversion. These results are useful for assessing the heavy metal contamination and proposing feasible suggestions to improve soil quality.