Heavy metal pollution is one of the most serious threats to aquatic environmental quality and human health due to the toxicity [1], persistence [2], nondegradability [2], and bioaccumulation [3] of heavy metals in surroundings. Heavy metals have been known to have direct toxic effects when released into the aquatic environment, and sediments function as a sink for these pollutants [4]. Heavy metal contaminants from urban, industrial, and agricultural sources that are poured into rivers will eventually combine with sediments via physical precipitation, chemical absorption, and biological absorption, and then deposited into surface sediments [5][6][7]. Heavy metals can accumulate and migrate in surface sediments because of cumulative effects and long-term interactions. Surface sediments serve as the main reservoir of heavy metals in a river Pol. AbstractTo comprehend the contamination levels of heavy metals in surface sediments of Shaying River (Anhui Section, China), samples of sediments were collected using grab samplers in 14 sampling sites in the river. Chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) in sediments were monitored via flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, and arsenic (As) via atomic fluorescence spectroscopy. The geo-accumulation index (I geo ), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (RI) were applied to evaluate the sediment pollution of the five heavy metals. The results indicate that the mean concentration levels (range) of Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, and As in sediments were 58.), and 0.44 (0.13-1.46) mg/kg, respectively. The mean I geo values of Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, and As were -0.69, 5.41, 0.36, -0.13, and -4.84, respectively. The average potential ecological coefficients (E r i ) of Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, and As were 1. 95, 324.70, 6.42, 7.02, and 0.29, respectively. The RI values of the five heavy metals ranged from 197.65 to 687.24, and the mean was 340.38. Among the studied heavy metals, Cd was the highest contaminating element, whereas As was the lowest. Especially Cd was the main contributor to RI in all the sampling sites. Moreover, Cr, Cd, Pb, and As might have similar sources of contamination based on the Pearson correlation matrix of analysis.