The study looked at how heavy metals move in river sediments in Tongling mining area. They found that copper, zinc, lead, chromium, and cadmium levels were higher than normal, especially copper and cadmium. The metals decreased faster in one river compared to another. Copper, zinc, and chromium became less risky as they moved, but lead and cadmium became more dangerous downstream. Sediment cores in one river had more metals and active forms, while the other had lower levels and more fluctuations. This shows that mining waste and erosion affect the metals in river sediments.