The study looked at heavy metal levels in sediment from the Luanhe River Estuary to see how they might affect the environment. They found higher metal levels in areas with more fine particles. Some metals like copper, lead, and arsenic could harm aquatic life. The river mouth and southern areas were more polluted with mercury. The main sources of metals were river input, coastal discharge, vehicle emissions, and coal and oil burning. Overall, the sediment in the area is weakly to moderately polluted by certain metals.