Abstract
This study investigated heavy metal concentrations in sediment for the quantification of pollution and potential ecological risks of the Indus River and its tributaries. River sediments were sampled across the five major geological sections: the Kohistan batholith, Chilas complex, Kamila amphibolites, Jijal complex, and Indian plate. The heavy metal concentrations of the sediment samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (Perkin Elmer, AAS-PEA-700). Results showed that the highest concentration of 36 300 mg/kg was observed for Fe in the Jijal complex and the lowest of 1.07 mg/kg for Cd in the Kohistan batholith. Heavy metal concentrations were used to quantify the geospatial distribution of pollution. The contamination factor values revealed that heavy metal exhibited moderate contamination, except for Cr and Cd, which showed considerable contamination levels in the Jijal complex and Indian plate, respectively. The pollution load index revealed that the sediments in the study area were contaminated with heavy metal. Ecological risk index (ERI) values indicate a low risk (ERI <150) to the exposed aquatic environment. Statistical and geospatial analyses showed that the heavy metal contamination of sediments was higher in the Jijal complex and Indian plate owing to natural and anthropogenic activities.
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