Assessment of surface sediment properties and heavy metal contamination in typical urban areas of the Yellow River, China

River sediments serve as a source and sink of potential heavy metal pollutants and offer crucial information for aquatic ecosystem health. Heavy metal pollution is a serious issue in global river systems and impacts humans via the food chain. In order to explore the distribution level of heavy metals in the water quality of the Yellow River in China. This study analyzed eight heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, and Cd) in sediments from six typical urban areas in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River using three evaluation. The enrichment factor, geo- accumulation index, and potential ecological risk. This study results show that the contents of Cr and Cd are relatively high in the six cities. Among them, Weinan and Luoyang are two cities with serious heavy metal pollution among the six typical cities. This study has certain guiding significance for relevant partial governance and pollution prevention.