University Of Tehran Press Pollution 2383-451X 10 1 2024 01 01 Assessing Heavy Metal Contamination In Surface Water And Sediments Of The Tafna River (North-West Of Algeria) 119 133 94544 10.22059/poll.2023.359704.2004 EN Ouezna Mechouet Geo-environment Laboratory, Faculty of Earth Science, Geography, and Territorial Planning, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene (FSTGAT/USTHB), BP 32 El Alia-16000, Alger, Algeria AliEddine Foudil Bouras Geo-environment Laboratory, Faculty of Earth Science, Geography, and Territorial Planning, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene (FSTGAT/USTHB), BP 32 El Alia-16000, Alger, Algeria Noureddine Benaissa Environmental Monitoring Networks Research Laboratory (LRSE), Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University Oran 1, Algeria Yasmine Ait Hamadouche Biology of Microorganisms and Biotechnology Laboratory «LBMB», Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University Oran 1, Algeria, Department of Biotechnology, Algeria 0000-0002-9201-7226 Fatima Zohra Haddad Environmental Monitoring Networks Research Laboratory (LRSE), Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University Oran 1, Algeria Alexandru Dimache Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University College of Asia Pacific Studies Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies: Ritsumeikan Asia Taiheiyo Daigaku Asia Taiheiyo Gakubu Daigakuin Asia Taiheiyo Kenkyuka Journal Article 2023 07 23 Water and sediments have become a major threat. Heavy metals, some of which are potentially toxic, are distributed in different areas by different routes. Tafna river was studied upstream and downstream under contrasting hydrological conditions during the year 2020.The different levels and sources of pollution are assessed by combining geochemical indicators: geoaccumulation index (GI-go), contamination factor (CF), pollutant loading index (PLI) and supplemented by correlation matrix (CM) as statiscal analyses added principal component analysis (PCA). The elements analysed were physical and chemical parameters (pH, DO, electrical conductivity CE and, COD BOD5), and the metallic elements (Fe, Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn and Zn). They were classified based on how contaminated they were: for the water compartment (Fe> Mn>Cu>Pb>Cd>Zn), while for sediments (Zn> Pb>Fe>Cd>Cu >Mn). The results suggest that the chemical composition of the waters of the Tafna river is influenced by the lithology, which contributes to the enrichment of the sediments. All of the indicators suggest an average levels of sediment and water pollution at the Tafna's summit, then decreases towards the bottom due to the geomorphology with multiple sources of pollution. As a result, our study offers the first comprehensive information on the amount of heavy metals present in the riverbed's sediment and water. https://jpoll.ut.ac.ir/article_94544_dffa4144f8250226cd0d54664fbdb57e.pdf