Multi-metals analysis in sediment of the North Sumatra coast, Indonesia: The environmental status

This study aims to analyze multi-metals in marine sediment to provide the relative nature of metal concentrations. Sediment samples were collected in representative coasts of natural and more developing zones. The Sequential Extraction method was used to treat four metal associated hosts determined using the ICP-OES. Geoaccumulation index, Enrichment Factor and Principal Component analysis were used to evaluate. The metal concentrations varied and most of them appeared to show a gradual decrease from east, west to the isle coasts. The coastal environment has been recognized to contain non-residual associated metals suggesting the influence of anthropogenic metal input. These bioavailable fractions also show gradual decrease from the East coast to West and Isle coast. The environmental assessment reveals that most of these areas were categorized as unpolluted and concentration of some elements west and isle coast are relatively close to those of nature sediment.

Automated summary

This study analyzed multi-metals in marine sediment to provide information about metal concentrations. The results showed that coastal areas contain non-residual associated metals as a result of human activities, and these metal concentrations decrease gradually along the coast.