Multivariate analysis on spatial distribution of chemical elements in river sediment assessed by the total reflection X-ray fluorescence technique.

This study applies total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) to assess multielement contamination in river sediments from a small urban basin in western Paraná, Brazil. Eleven elements (Al, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb) were quantified using an internal standard, and the concentration data were evaluated using Spearman correlation, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Cu, Zn and especially Pb reached concentrations up to 703, 349 and 344 mg kg-1, with several values exceeding Brazilian guideline thresholds for soils impacted by anthropogenic activities. Multivariate results indicate that Ti, Cr and Fe form a predominantly lithogenic assemblage related to the basalt-derived parent material, whereas Cu and Zn define a distinct anthropogenic group associated with urban, industrial and wastewater inputs; Mn, Ni, Ca and Pb show mixed origin. The combined use of TXRF and multivariate tools thus provides a robust, resource-efficient framework for sediment monitoring, source differentiation and support of pollution control strategies in contaminated aquatic environments.