Abstract: Based on the analysis of the geochemical indexes of heavy metals in 51 sediment samples with B62 in the central Bohai Sea, the influencing factors of the change of heavy metals content were discussed, and the relationship between human activities and heavy metals in the central Bohai Sea over the past 160 years was expounded. The results show that the changes of sediment provenance caused by the diversion of the Yellow River in 1855 and human activities are the main factors affecting the changes of heavy metal content in the central Bohai Sea. Through correlation analysis and principal component analysis, We extracted effective indicators (e.g. Cu, Pb and Cd) indicating human activities, then elaborated the relationship between human activities and heavy metal elements in the central bohai Sea over the past 160 years At the same time, the potential ecological hazard index method was used to evaluate the heavy metal pollution in the central Bohai Sea. The results showed that the study area had been at a low microecological risk level since 1855, but RI significantly increased due to the impact of human activities.