Spatial variation and environmental risk assessment of heavy metal in the surficial sediments along the Egyptian Red Sea coast

Younis, Alaa; Ismail, Ismail; Mohamedein, Lamiaa; Ahmed, Shimaa

doi:10.12816/0010694

Spatial variation and environmental risk assessment of heavy metal in the surficial sediments along the Egyptian Red Sea coast

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Aquatic Enviroment Department, Faculty of Fisheries Resources, Suez University, Suez-Egypt

² Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University, Suez-Egypt

³ Marine pollution Lab, National Institute- Oceanography and Fisheries, Suez-Egypt

10.12816/0010694

Abstract

eight sites along the Egyptian Red Sea coast were investigated in order to evaluate the pollution status and environmental risk assessment of the study area. The results of the partitioning study showed that the average concentrations of the heavy metals analyzed in investigated sediment exhibited the following decreasing order Fe > Mn > Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cd. The degree of surface sediment contamination was computed using Metal Pollution Index (MPI) and Geo-accumulation index (I geo). Metal Pollution Index showed that station 5 (Qusier Middle) suffered with metal pollutions. Association with adverse effects to marine organisms was determined using the classification of the sediments according to Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). Sediment quality guidelines based on the consensus approach revealed that Pb and Cu had no adverse ecological effects.

Keywords