RESUMO
The contents of ten heavy metals (As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn, Ti, Mn, and Hg) were determined in the surface soils surrounding a municipal solid waste incineration plant in Shanghai using atomic spectroscopy. The spatial distribution and sources of the detected heavy metals were studied by enrichment factor and multivariate statistical and spatial interpolation analyses. In addition, their potential ecological risk was assessed. The results showed that all heavy metals, except Hg and As, were detected with mean contents ranging from 0.399 to 4220 mg·kg-1. The mean contents of Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn, and Mn were higher than their respective background values in Shanghai. In particular, the mean content of Cd was 2.9 times its background value. The results of the Pearson's correlation, principle component, enrichment factor, and spatial distribution analyses of these heavy metals indicated that Ti, Mn, and Ni primarily originated from natural sources, while Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn originated from industrial manufacturing, combustion, and traffic emissions. The potential ecological risk assessment showed that soils surrounding the municipal solid waste incineration plant suffered from a moderate-level risk. The mean value of the potential ecological risk index of these detected heavy metals was 108.92, of which Cd contributed as high as 79.63%, deserving much attention.