Revised Mudi River Dataset-contamination level and ecological risk assessment of selected heavy metals
Description
Chemical analysis of water and sediments provides important information about the contamination level of the river systems. Heavy metal contamination of river water and sediments remains a global issue that is affecting the ecological health of the riverine ecosystem. A total of twelve (12) sediments and twelve (12) water samples making twenty-four (24) samples were collected from Mudi River, Blantyre, Malawi at twelve (12) different sites within the river in dry season in 2021 and wet season in 2022. Sediment samples from the targeted sites were collected at 0 to 10 cm deep using a polypropylene spatula. Similarly, 500 mL of water from the river was collected at the selected sites using clearly labelled plastic bottles, and 2 mL of nitric acid was added to preserve the samples for analysis. Both water and digested sediment samples and reagent blank were analysed for total Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Cu content using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). The pH, temperature, and EC were measured using a combined pH/temperature/turbidity/electro-conductivity meter on site. The data will be valuable as it provides updated information and baseline data on the contamination level of Mudi River water and sediments.