**Investigation of Heavy Metal Distribution in Fluvial Sediments: A Case Study of the Shafarud River, Southwestern Caspian Sea**

Project Leader: Dr. Razieh Lak
Year: 2022

The study investigated environmental heavy metal contaminants in the coastal areas of Gilan Province through the collection and chemical fractionation of riverine, wetland, and coastal sediment samples. The study identified the exchangeable, carbonate-bound, iron and manganese oxide-bound, and organic-bound phases of metals, and assessed the degree of contamination, release risk, and bioavailability of metals within freshwater ecosystems. Their relationships with the physical and chemical characteristics of the sediments were also analyzed.