GIS-based approach to study the spatial distribution of Cr in the water-level-fluctuating zone along the Xiao River

The geo-statistical method was used for predicting the distribution of the content of Chrome (Cr) and tracing the hotspots in water-level-fluctuating zone. The hotspots of Cr pollution which indicated higher risk than other areas were identified to be mainly distributed in the water-level-fluctuating zone of soils near populated areas along the Xiao River. The mean contents of Cr in soils are more than 2 times greater than the reference values. The anthropogenic factors are the main sources for Cr concentration in soils of the study area, which obviously affect the distribution of Cr.