| Abstrakt: |
The El-Zeit Bay area has been significantly affected by petroleum operations, including drilling and backfilling activities for pier construction, leading to changes in the coastline, especially on the eastern side, displacing coral reefs and rocky masses. This has negatively impacted marine sediments in the area. Mechanical and geochemical analyses were conducted on 11 surface marine sediment samples from El-Zeit Bay. The results revealed that sand was the dominant sediment type, accompanied by varying proportions of mud and gravel. In certain deeper samples, there was a noticeable increase in gravel content. The sediment particles exhibited a wide range of sizes, spanning from very coarse to fine grains. The carbonate content in the sediments varied from 13.1% to 68.8%, averaging 47.0%. Some samples had high organic material content, influenced by sediment nature. Heavy metal concentrations were measured in the samples: Fe (3155 - 20765 ppm, average 8377 ppm), Mn (79 - 305 ppm, average 143 ppm), Zn (18.6 - 56.8 ppm, average 37.2 ppm), Cu (4.9 - 23.6 ppm, average 11 ppm), Pb (13.6 - 28.9 ppm, average 22.4 ppm), Ni (9.4 - 21.7 ppm, average 15.2 ppm), Co (1.4 - 6.2 ppm, average 3 ppm), and Cd (0.6 - 2.9 ppm, average 2 ppm). The assessment of pollution levels in the sediment employed enrichment factors (EF), geoaccumulation indices (Igeo), and pollution load indices (PLI) to gauge the extent of metal contamination. This research offers strategic recommendations aimed at reducing environmental harm in El-Zeit Bay, while also informing future development initiatives to promote sustainability and prevent additional deterioration of the marine ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
