Assessment of particulate quality clearly reveals its prominent role in heavy metal cycling. For this reason, two new methods(RSP and PEF)are put forward. Combined with preceding literature, four methods are compared. Based on assessment results of main rivers of out country, the paper proves that most of rivers are not seriously contaminated by heavy metal due to their strong buffer capacity. The aim of this paper is to provide theoretical reference for further studies and to provide appropriate selection for particulate quality assessment under different situations.