Heavy metal contents in the Delft canal sediments and suspended solids of the River Rhine: multivariate analysis for source tracing

We have analyzed heavy metal contents in the sediments of three Delft inner city canals (Rietveld, Oude Delft and Zuiderstraat) and compared them with the heavy metal contents in the River Rhine suspended solids. All the data were examined by multivariate analysis in order to explain the behavior and sources of each metal. Correlation coefficient matrices were studied in order to find an internal structure and assist in identification of pollutant sources. The good correlation among almost all the heavy metals (except Pb) indicates that there are common sources or at least one major source for them. Based on the factor analysis technique, principal components score plots were obtained to cluster the data (63 samples from the Delft canals and 10 from the River Rhine) and describe their different characteristics. It was found in the plots that the data from the River Rhine clustered together with 2 out of the 3 Delft stations (Rietveld, Oude Delft). This supports the view that the River Rhine is an important external micropollutant source for the Delft inner city canals. The third station (Zuiderstraat) showed much higher pollution levels than the other Delft canals; apparently it has been influenced not only by the River Rhine but also by internal pollutant inputs such as metal corrosion and paints from local boathouses. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.