Environmental assessment of heavy metals contamination in Sharm El Madfa and Abu Ramad coastal sediments, Red Sea, Egypt

Abstract

To assess the contamination levels of selected heavy metals of the Sharm El Madfa and Abu Ramad coastal sediments, Red Sea, Egypt, 22 bottom sediment samples were collected from the two sites. The concentrations of the heavy metals were recorded using inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP-ES) technique. The level of pollution was evaluated using both single and integrated pollution indices. Moreover, statistical (correlation) analyses were performed. The geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, contamination degree, and pollution load index showed that the sediments at both sites were unpolluted. However, the enrichment factor shows higher values for all metals (EF > 1.5). These values of EF indicate that these metals are slightly to moderately severe enriched relative to the background and suggest that some fractions of the sources of these metals are more likely to be anthropogenic. The improved Nemerow index values indicate that the overall level of heavy metal contamination in the studied sediments of the two sites is between heavily and extremely contaminated. The calculated anthropogenic fraction percentages for Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, As, V and Cr show various proportions among all metals of the sediments. The correlation between the heavy metals with both of Al, Si and Ti indicates that these metals are associated with the detrital charier phases and/or absorbed by iron and Mn-oxides and or hydroxides. The possible anthropogenic sources of these metals are shipment operations and anticorrosive and antifouling paints, dredging and land filling, municipal wastewater from tourist centers and fishermen cargo boats. Mamdouh Soliman et al. 68