Contamination, sources and risk assessments of metals in stream sediments of Pouma area, Pan-African Fold Belt, Southern Cameroon

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 2023-03, Vol.234 (3), p.160, Article 160
• Main Authors: Jean-Lavenir, Ndema Mbongué, Kiki, Tume Noela, Yiika, Lemnyuy Prosper, Ndi, Godlove Muh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural practices; Aluminium; Aluminum; Anthropogenic factors; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Belts; Cadmium; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Contaminated sediments; Contamination; Copper; Domains; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecological risk assessment; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Factor analysis; Ferric oxide; Heavy metals; Hydrogeology; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Iron; Lead; Lithofacies; Lithology; Manganese; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Nickel; Panning; Pollutant load; Pollution; Pollution index; Pollution load; Pollution sources; Quarrying; Rare earth elements; Rare earth metals; Risk assessment; River sediments; Rivers; Sediment; Sediment pollution; Sediments; Silver; Soil Science & Conservation; Stream pollution; Thorium; Trace metals; Uranium; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Yttrium; Zinc; Zirconium
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-023-06180-4

The Pouma area is located within the Yaoundé domain of the Pan-Africa Fold Belt in Cameroon. The objective of this study was to examine the geochemical distributions of elements in stream sediment so as to assess the trace metal contamination, sources of pollution and ecological risks assessment. Samples were obtained by panning and analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. Stream sediments exhibit high content of Fe 2 O 3 (0.48–8.86%), Mn (142–887 ppm), Th (12 to > 200 ppm), Zr (0.8–174 ppm), Sr (3–106 ppm), Au (18.9 to > 10,000 ppb), V (5–85 ppm), Y (9.62–101 ppm), rare earth elements (ΣREE = 181–3364 ppm), and depleted in the rest of elements. Factor analysis shows up to five factors accounting for 88.74% of cumulative variance. The pollution load index (PLI: 1.1–8.1), enrichment factor (EF: 0.01–1221), integrated nemerow pollution load index (NIPI: 3.57–25.93) and potential ecological risk index (RI: 3–7504) of silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), thorium (Th), uranium (U), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn) and zirconium (Zr) indicate sediments contamination and metal pollution. Natural and metal input assessment reveals that the dominantly mafic lithology, quarrying and domestic activities as well as agricultural practices are the main source of metal contamination in Pouma area. The results of this study provide some valuable insights as it concerns the sediment assessment approach, which can be used to design and plan strategic sediment management programmes in the Pouma area. Article Highlights • Pouma area is located within the Yaoundé domain of the Pan-Africa Fold Belt in Cameroon • The pollution parameters obtained in the Pouma area indicate contamination and metal pollution • Natural and anthropogenic metal input are the main sources of metal contamination in Pouma area