Determination of Some Heavy Metals in The Sediment Samples Collected from Selected Dams in Katsina State, Nigeria‎

Heavy metal contamination in aquatic environments is a major ecological and public health concern ‎due to the toxic, non-biodegradable, and bioaccumulative nature of these elements. In particular, ‎sediments serve as both sinks and potential sources of heavy metals in aquatic systems, playing a ‎crucial role in regulating their distribution and bioavailability. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals ‎in sediments can impair benthic communities, disrupt food web dynamics, and pose long-term risks to ‎ecosystem stability and human health through trophic transfer. This study assessed levels of cadmium ‎‎ (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in sediment samples from three multipurpose dams in ‎Katsina State—Gwaigwaye, Maska, and Zobe important for water supply, irrigation, fishing, and ‎livestock use. Sampling was conducted during both dry and wet seasons using composite methods. ‎Metal concentrations, determined via MP-AES after acid digestion, were all below USEPA and ‎NOAA limits, indicating good sediment quality. One-way ANOVA showed no significant seasonal ‎variation (p > 0. 05). Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) values were ‎below critical thresholds, indicating no contamination across both seasons‎.