Assessment of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution with Principal Component Analysis and Geoaccumulation Index

The assessment of pollution levels of heavy metals soil contamination is significant to human health and environmental management. The purpose of this article is to apply two methods, which are Principal component analysis (PCA) and Geoaccumulation index (Igeo), to assess heavy metals contamination levels in the area around copper mine tailing, and to compare the results with Hakanson potential ecological risk index techniques (RI). The rank of soil Cd pollution levels, which is assessed using Igeo, is consistent with the one by RI, while the PCA assessments result of comprehensive contamination level in soil discrepancy with RI and Igeo. PCA concerned with the distribution of all elements in soil, while Igeo and RI are mainly determined by the elements with high concentration or big Toxic Response Factor value. The combined application of PCA and Igeo can effectively identify the comprehensive and single pollution levels of elements in soil, thus important to the extent determination of heavy metals pollution in soil.