| Abstrakt: |
The coastal zone of the Red Sea had been seriously subjected to enduring impacts including; petroleum exploration and production, overpopulation, and severe land-based enterprises. Heavy metal (HM) pollution in the marine ecosystem has become a severe ecological problem due to its damaging effects and persistence in the environment. Therefore, 41 surface sediment samples were collected from the frontal marine areas off the megacities of the Egyptian Red Sea to investigate the HMs contamination using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The recorded HM averages (μg/g) were follow the order of; Fe (6545.72) > Mn (177.76) > Zn (48.61) > Ni (20.96) ≥ Pb (20.84) > Cu (11.31) > Cd (1.38). Except for Cu, Ni, and Pb, the mean values of HMs in the examined samples surpassed the low reference values observed in the different sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), demonstrating these HMs have a rare risk to the aquatic population. The results of single pollution indices revealed that all investigated areas were unpolluted by Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Ni, and minimal to mildly contaminated by Pb and Cd. However, the pollution load index (PLI) indicated that the seafloor sediments of all studied cities were clearly unpolluted by HMs (PLI < 1). Additionally, correlations revealed that the observed HMs originated from comparable (terrigenous) origins, except for Ni, which could have accumulated from another anthropogenic source. In addition to providing global insights, this study will give Egypt a road map for working together to protect the northern Red Sea's coastal ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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