Nanoremediation strategies applied to contaminated river sediments can induce changes in the mobility and bioavailability of metals with potential consequences on ecosystem health. In this study, the performance of rhamnolipid (RL) coated nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) in immobilizing cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from contaminated river sediments was investigated. We demonstrated that RNZVI was effective in transforming labile Cd and Pb to stable fraction (the maximum residual percentage of Cd and Pb increased by 56.40% and 43.10% after 42 days of incubation, respectively), with the decrease of the mobility of metals. The increase of pH in NZVI and RNZVI treated sediment samples indicated the related mechanism for Cd and Pb immobilization. The contents of organic matter (OM) were higher than in control, with the initial addition of RL during 7 days incubation, and then the contents gradually decreased and became stable, maybe resulting from the enhancement of the activity of microorganisms and the decomposition of OM. Urease and catalase activities were enhanced with the increase of incubation time, showing certain degrees of recovery in sediment metabolic function. This work provides a new insight into the potential effects of RNZVI applications on the Cd and Pb immobilization in contaminated river sediments. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.