The study looked at pollution levels of heavy metals in water and sediment near an old mine in Slovakia. They found that metals like iron, manganese, copper, and lead were present in higher amounts in the sediment than in the water. This suggests that the sediment can act as a sink for metal pollutants. The researchers used a metal pollution index to compare metal levels at different sampling sites and calculated how the metals were distributed between the water and sediment. Overall, the study shows how mining activities can lead to metal pollution in aquatic environments, with sediments playing a key role in trapping these pollutants.