Abstract: The concentrations and distribution of heavy metal Cu,Pb,Zn and Cd in surface sediments from Pearl River estuary were analyzed,according to the eco-environmental survey data collected in May and August,2002.It was shown that the average concentrations of Cu,Pb,Zn and Cd in surface sediments from Pearl River estuary were 43.8,48.9,153.3 and 0.82 mg/kg respectively,with the range 22.5～66.7,28.1～85.3,68.5～255.5 and 0.02～4.10 mg/kg respectively.Affected by the water dynamic and flush/silt in Pearl River estuary,the concentrations of Cu, Pb,Zn and Cd in surface sediments in August were higher than those in May.The horizontal distributions of Cu,Pb,Zn and Cd in surface sediments from Pearl River estuary were very similar,with the highest concentrations near Qi’ao Island and lowest concentrations near Dayushan Mountain.The section distribution showed that the concentrations of Cu,Pb,Zn and Cd in the surface sediments from upper estuary section were higher than those of downriver section,and it is indicated that the four kinds of heavy metal in the surface sediments from upper estuary originated in the river input.The seasonal difference also showed that the heavy metal concentrations in the sediments from upper estuary were higher than those of downriver region.The ecological risk assessment results showed that the potential risks of Cu,Pb and Zn were slight and the risk of Cd is higher than those of others.