Heavy Metals in Surface Water in Eastern, Central and Western Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia

Abstract

In recent years, the economic development has played an important role in the environment change and now China is one of the fastest-growing economy countries in the world. With the economic development of Tianshan regions, we wish to know the situation of the heavy metals in water environment of Tianshan Mountains. We used anomaly analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis to analyze the relationship and the occurrence characteristics of heavy metals in the water environment of Tianshan mountains. Results showed that the mean and the standard deviation of heavy metals Co, Cr, As, Ni present in the western water environment are higher than that in the eastern and central of the Tianshan mountains; meanwhile the mean and the standard deviation of the heavy metals Cd, Zn, Pb, Hg, Mn present in the eastern water environment are higher than that of the western Tianshan mountains. The analysis showed the order of heavy metals in the same sample is: Ni > As > Cu > Zn > Cr > Co > Mn > Hg > Cd > Pb. The correlation analysis shows a closer correlation between heavy metals e.g., Cu, Mn, Hg, Zn, Ni; Mn, Co, Ni, As. The principal component analysis shows heavy metals of the surface water environment can be divided into the first principal components (Cu, Ni, Co, As and Cr); the second principal components (Hg, Zn, Pb) and the third principal components (Mn and Cd). The analysis grouped ten kinds of heavy metals into three clusters: cluster one (Co, Ni and Cr), cluster two (Cd, Cu), cluster three (Pb, Zn, Mn and Hg). From the analysis the sources of the heavy metals in Tianshan mountains was summed up and distinguish coming from the natural sources and the anthropogenic sources. The research also indicated the rapid economic development in the region have made a negative influence on the environment referred heavy metals situation in Tianshan mountains.