Abstract: A part of the heavy metals in estuary and coastal zone occurs naturally in the environment; the other part is due to human activity; so the directly measured concentration of heavy metal does not automatically indicate anthropogenic enrichment. Fe₂O₃ was used in this study as conservative tracer to distinguish natural components from anthropogenic components of heavy metal sediment concentration in the Zhujiang estuary. Compared with clay and Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃ is more suitable as reference element. The final results showed that two zones in the Zhujiang estuary were seriously contaminated by heavy metals. One nearby the Humen mouth; the other around the west coast of the estuary. The horizontal distribution of heavy metals indicates that Zn, Ni and Cu have wider contaminating areas than TiO₂, V and Cr in the estuary.

Key words: Heavy metal pollution, Reference element, Zhujiang (Pearl River) estuary

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