Determination of heavy metals in surface sediment from Pahang river

Heavy metals are one of the imperative contaminants in nature. The goal of the study is to determine the concentration and distribution of aluminium (Al), potassium (K), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca) and manganese (Mn) in sediments of Pahang River. This study was conducted to assess the contamination level of the river based on the metal concentrations kept in the surface river sediment and furthermore assess the harm of the studied metals to the water body. The surface sediment was stored and preserved at 4°C before further analysis. 15 samples were analysed by the X-Ray Fluorescence to assess the concentration of each element in the samples. The average concentration of heavy metals in the sediment decreased in the order of K > Al > Fe > Ca > Mn. The quality of sediments was determined through the assessment of the Enrichment factor (EF), Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and Pollution load index (PLI). The contamination risk alongside the Pahang River is determined as low.