Assessment of metal contamination in coastal sediments, seawaters and bivalves of the Mediterranean Sea coast, Egypt

Journal Article

• Magazine \ Newspaper: Marine Pollution Bulletin

Publication Abstract

In order to assessmetal contamination on theMediterranean coast of Egypt, 45 sediment samples, seawaters and
bivalve specimens were collected from Rosetta coastal area for Mg, Al, K, Fe, Sr, Zn, Pb, Mn, As, Ce, Ni, Cr and Zr
analyses by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer. The Enrichment Factor (EF), the Geoaccumulation
Index (Igeo) and the Contamination Factor (CF) indicated that the coastal sediments of Rosetta areawere severely
enriched, strongly polluted with As, Pb and very highly contaminated with As, Pb, Ni, Ce, mostly as a result of
anthropogenic inputs. Comparison with other samples from the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea and abroad coasts
suggested that the studied samples have higher concentrations of Fe, Pb, As, Zn and Ni. The natural sources of
heavy metals in the study area are attributed to weathering and decomposition of mountain ranges of the
Sudan and Ethiopia, while the anthropogenic ones are the metals produced from industrial, sewage, irrigation
and urban runoff.