Abstract:Heavy metals enriched in river sediments are a potential threat to river surface water and surrounding farmland soil environment in a long time. Through collecting surface sediment samples from Wulonghe small watershed in Chili area in Laiyang, the contents of 8 kinds of heavy metals have been analyzed, including As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn, present condition of heavy metal pollution and potential ecological risks have been evaluated by using geological accumulation index method and potential ecological hazard index method, and the sources of heavy metals in sediment have been explained by using positive matrix factor matrix method. It is showed that the average contents of Cr, Cu, Hg and Ni in the heavy metals in the sediments are significantly higher than relevant background values with a certain enrichment characteristics. The order of heavy metal pollution degree is Ni>Hg>Cu>Cr>Cd > Zn > As > Pb, in which Cu, Hg and Ni are moderately polluted, Cd and Cr are slightly polluted, and As, Zn and Pb are non polluted. The potential ecological risks of heavy metals in sediment are low, medium and high, accounting for 40.8%, 48.1% and 11.1% respectively. Hg and Cd are main potential ecological risk elements, and showing higher potential ecological risks and medium potential ecological risks respectively. The risk points are mainly distributed in the confluence of Wulong river and Fushui river. The heavy metal pollution sources in the study area mainly include natural sources (Cr and Ni), mixed sources (As, Cd, Hg and Pb) and orchard pesticides (Cu and Zn), with their contribution rates of 30%, 31% and 39% respectively