Abstract:In order to investigate the pollution characteristics of heavy metals in a typical abandoned rare earth smelt plant in Ganzhou. Single factor pollution index method and Nemerow integrated index method were used to evaluate the status of heavy metal pollution and analyze the heavy metal correlation. The results show that nickel and mercury in the water are higher than reference values. The metal contents in soils exceed the background levels. The results of single factor pollution index method shows that the pollution degree of Ni in water is heavy to severe polluted, and Hg is light, and the pollution degrees of Hg and Cd in soil samples is medium polluted,and others are light. The Nemerow integrated index results suggest that the pollution degrees of water are the heavy. The Nemerow integrated index of soil samples is heavy polluted. Pearson" s correlation analysis revealed that the pollution of Ni and Hg in water were from same source, and heavy metals in soils were extremely and obviously correlated, which were from dust, raw material stacking and leakage in smelting.