Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Mangrove Sediments of the Sepang Besar River, West Coast Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

The impact of heavy metal contamination caused by human activities on mangroves, rivers, estuaries, and coastal wetlands has gained attention recently. In this study, the presence of heavy metals in the mangrove Sepang Besar River's surface sediments was examined. As, Mo, Pb, Cr, Co, Cd, Ni, and Hg concentrations in sand were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Across all sampling sites, Cr concentrations were the highest and Hg concentrations were the lowest. The concentration of As was found higher than shale's geochemical background value. The range of EFs for As, Mo, and Pb are 4.38 to 12.9, 1.71 to 3.67, and 0.94 to 2.68, respectively. The eight heavy metals and other environmental components were compared using the correlation coefficient. The ecological hazards posed by eight heavy metals (As, Mo, Pb, Cr, Co, Cd, Ni, and Hg) were assessed using the comprehensive enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo). The Enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index, in particular, revealed that Arsenic is the most prevalent heavy metal pollutant in surface sediments in Sepang Besar River mangrove sediments, with some stations requiring specific attention due to high pollution levels.