article · Discover Environment
An evaluation of surface sediments in Dibang, Cameroon, assessed contamination levels, sources, and associated risks from potentially hazardous elements using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Average concentrations of cadmium, manganese, zirconium, lead, and uranium exceeded upper continental crust baseline values. In addition, chromium and lead concentrations surpassed sediment quality guidelines, indicating potential toxic stress to benthic life. While overall indices indicated low potential ecological risk and minimal non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic threats to human health, sediment contamination ranged from low to high degrees. Statistical source tracking revealed that elements such as iron, manganese, and chromium originated from natural geogenic sources. Conversely, copper, cadmium, scandium, lead, and uranium stemmed from both natural origins and human activities, notably artisanal mining, agricultural runoff, fertilisers, and urban or industrial effluents.
Sediments act as long-term sinks for environmental toxins that can harm aquatic organisms and enter food chains. Identifying whether toxic metals stem from underlying geology or human activities allows communities and local authorities to address specific pollution sources, such as mining and agricultural runoff, before contamination reaches dangerous thresholds for human health and local ecosystems.
The abstract does not indicate a direct commercial application pathway, as this is early-stage baseline environmental monitoring. However, environmental regulators, consultancy firms, and local management bodies could use the combined analytical framework to guide site-specific mitigation programmes, targeted wastewater monitoring, and land-use policies around artisanal mining and agriculture in the region.
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The assessment of potentially hazardous elements (PHEs) in surface sediments is very important to maintain ecosystem health. The present study examines the contamination levels, ecotoxicological and human health risk patterns of PHEs in surface sediments of Dibang, Cameroon. Sediment samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean content of Cd (0.27), Mn (824.75 mg/kg), Zr (224.33 mg/kg), Pb (116.41 mg/kg) and U (198.86 mg/kg) surpassed upper continental crust values. Cr (27-96 mg/kg) and Pb were also above the sediment quality guidelines values, suggesting toxic stress responses to benthic organisms in the sediment of Dibang. Contamination factor, contamination degree, enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index suggest low to high degree of sediment contamination. Potential ecological risk assessment (PERI: 40.53–161.68) and toxicity indices (TRI/TUs < 5) indicate low potential ecological and toxicity effects. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment values for each hazardous element are less than 1 for children and adults indicating minimal risks to human health. Carcinogenic risk values for Ni, Cr and Pb are lower than the target risk level (1 × 10–4 and 1× 10-6 ); suggesting low carcinogenic health effects. From Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) results, Fe, Mn, Zn, Co, V, Ni, Cr and Zr were primarily derived from geogenic sources, while Cu, Cd, Sc, Pb and U originated from both geogenic and anthropogenic sources. Across PCA, HCA and PCC results, the consistent grouping of Cd, Pb, Cu and U suggests a strong anthropogenic signal linked to artisanal mining, fertilizers, industrial and household effluents, agricultural and urban runoff. The integration of multi-index, health risk and multivariate methodologies provides a comprehensive framework for assessing and managing sediment contamination. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted pollution control, mitigation and environmental management strategies in Dibang, Cameroon.
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DOI: 10.1007/s44274-025-00363-y
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