Current World Environment

The quality of the sediment is negatively impacted by the concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The Bhima River, which supports a sizable population and is a significant location for agricultural production, is susceptible to PTEs pollution. In this research, we examined concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) with Zinc(Zn), Copper(Cu), Iron(Fe), Manganese(Mn), Cadmium(Cd), and Lead(Pb) in sediment samples collected from eight different chosen sites near temples where rituals are performed, close to farming activities, bridge structures, and sewage sludge dumping areas during the period of October 2020 to September 2021. PTEs were detected using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). The obtained results have been out into succeeding arrangement Fe>Mn>Cu>Zn>Pb>Cd. To evaluate the pollution status, the geo accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment ratio (ER), and pollution load index (PLI) were used for measuring sediment contamination. ER values for Cu, Mn, Pb, and Cd were greater than 5, indicating a significant level of contamination by these metals. The ER demonstrated that high Cd was present at almost all sampling sites. Cu had the greatest Igeo values at the S3 site, while Cd had the highest Igeo values in all the sites. According to the PLI, site S4 was more polluted. This evidence points to a lithogenic effect on the river's metal contamination. Cu, Mn, and Cd concentrations are expected to have a negative impact on benthic organisms. Furthermore, principal component analysis and cluster analysis discovered as agricultural run-off, bridge building, lead battery use, and sewage sludge were the leading causes of sediment quality degradation in the research area. It is vital to monitor the PTEs concentration in this sediment regularly because of its long-term effect.

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