Instruments and methods for the analysis of heavy metals in sediment – a concise review

Natural and anthropogenic heavy metals cause pollution, carcinogenic, teratogenic effects, and disruption of microniches. Assessing heavy metals in sediments can be correlated with heavy metals in microorganisms, sessile and planktonic organisms, mussels, arthropods, and other species thriving on it. The current work focuses on the heavy metal concentrations in the sediments of estuarine and coastal environments. Continuous monitoring of coastal ecosystems is essential in evaluating environmental health risks and developing strategies to address them. The development, innovations, and optimizations occurred between 2000 and 2025 particularly about sediments of the coastal and estuarine environments have been reported, corroborated and analyzed in this review article, particularly about sediments of the coastal and estuarine environments. The emphasis is on the procedures followed by the digestion processes, the analytical methods, and the indices utilized to determine contamination levels. Heavy metals such as Pb, As, Hg, Cr, Cd, Co, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Fe, and Al are included in the review. This data suggests the occurrence, distribution, and dynamics. The article also covers statistical tools and geospatial analysis aids in visualizing potential contamination hotspots. Implementing potential remediation and managing pollution issues can both benefit from this study.自然来源与人为活动产生的重金属可引发环境污染，具有致癌、致畸效应，并会破坏微生境（microniches）。对沉积物（sediments）中的重金属进行评估，可与微生物、附着生物（sessile organisms）、浮游生物（planktonic organisms）、贝类（mussels）、节肢动物（arthropods）以及依托沉积物生存的其他物种体内的重金属水平建立关联。本研究聚焦于河口与海岸环境沉积物中的重金属浓度。对海岸生态系统开展持续监测，是评估环境健康风险并制定应对策略的核心前提。本文综述了2000年至2025年间针对海岸与河口环境沉积物的相关研究进展、技术创新与优化方案，并对其进行了验证与分析。本综述重点关注重金属样品的消解流程（digestion processes）、检测分析方法，以及用于判定污染水平的各类指数。本次综述涵盖的重金属包括铅（Pb）、砷（As）、汞（Hg）、铬（Cr）、镉（Cd）、钴（Co）、锌（Zn）、铜（Cu）、镍（Ni）、锰（Mn）、铁（Fe）与铝（Al）。该研究数据揭示了重金属的赋存状态、空间分布与动态变化特征。本文还涵盖了可用于可视化潜在污染热点区域的统计工具与地理空间分析技术。本研究可为潜在修复方案的实施与污染问题的治理提供重要支撑。