Six sampling sites were set up in Lanzhou City, and atmospheric deposition samples were collected from April 2010 to March 2018. Subsequently, the concentration of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Cd) was determined to explore the temporal and spatial characteristics of heavy metals. Finally, partial correlation analysis, the enrichment factor method, and the principal component analysis method were used to identify the source of heavy metals in the atmospheric deposition. The results show that the ranking of average heavy metal content in the atmospheric deposition in Lanzhou from high to low was Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Ni > Cd, and Cd, Zn, and Pb were all polluted. In terms of time, except for Fe and Mn, the other elements mostly showed a trend of higher content in the heating period than that in the non-heating period, and the contents of each element in the non-heating period and the heating period in 2011 and 2013 were significantly different. In terms of sites, there were certain differences between the non-heating period and the heating period in each region; however, the differences among elements were not significant except for Zn and Cd. The source analysis results show that in the non-heating period, the heavy metals in the atmospheric deposition in Lanzhou mainly came from industrial sources, followed by traffic sources and fugitive dust sources. In the heating period, the heavy metals in the atmospheric deposition in Lanzhou mainly came from coal-burning, transportation, and industry activities, followed by secondary dust and natural sources.
Keywords: atmospheric deposition; heating period; heavy metals; non-heating period; source.