Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>The aim of this study was to determine concentrations of Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, and As in sediments adjacent to the proposed Bahi wetland uranium exploration area and evaluate sediment quality using contamination factor (CF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollution load index (PLI), ecological risk factor (Er), and potential ecological risk index (PERI). Sediment samples were collected from three agricultural sites (n = 5 per site; total n = 15) and analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry</italic> Varian AA240FS. <italic>Mean metal concentrations followed the order Zn < Cu < As < Pb < Ni, while contamination factors ranked Ni > Pb > Zn > As > Cu. Overall, 47% of sediment samples showed low contamination and 53% moderate contamination. Geo-accumulation index values were below zero for all metals except Pb at Site B (Igeo = 0.118), indicating slight enrichment, whereas the remaining sediments were practically uncontaminated. Pollution load index values ranged from 0.429 to 0.441, classifying all sites as unpolluted (PLI ≤ 1). Ecological risk factor (Er) values ranged from 0.140 for Cu at Site B to 12.867 for Ni at Site A, with the overall risk ranking of Cu < Zn < Pb < As < Ni; all values remained within the low-risk category (Er < 40). These findings indicate minimal ecological risk to aquatic and sediment-dwelling organisms. Although slight Pb enrichment at Site B warrants periodic monitoring, the generally low metal concentrations indicate that sediment quality remains stable and provide an important baseline for future environmental monitoring in the proposed uranium exploration area.</italic> </p>