Assessment of physicochemical properties of suspended sediment in Yangtze river estuary

The physicochemical properties of suspended sediment affect the adsorption of heavy metals. Based on scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and Image Pro Plus, we detected the physicochemical properties of suspended sediment in Yangtze Estuary. The following results were observed: (1) The graphical diameter (GD), roundness (RO) and fractal dimension (FD) of suspended sediment all presented normal distribution. According to Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test, the RO of suspended sediment of the ShiDongkou station at sewage outlet was 1.31, which was significantly higher than that of other points. (2) According to the K-S test, there was no significant difference in elements among various points in the Yangtze River Estuary. (3) Compared to the chemical properties of suspended sediment, its physical characteristics had a greater impact on heavy metal absorption. The physical characteristics had the least impact on the Cu adsorption, while the chemical properties had the least impact on the Cr absorption. This study deepens the understanding of suspended sediment in the Yangtze Estuary and provides comprehensive data for the numerical simulation of suspended sediment dynamics.