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Marine and Freshwater Research Marine and Freshwater Research Society
Advances in the aquatic sciences
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Assessment of metal contamination in coastal marine sediments of Makadi Bay on the Red Sea, Egypt

Mohamed Youssef https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6465-6293 A B E , Hashem Madkour C , Raafat El Attar B , Abbas Mansour B and Amani Badawi D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Geology and Geophysics, College of Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.

B Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Qena, South Valley University, 83523 Qena, Egypt.

C National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), Red Sea Branch, 84511 Hurghada, Egypt.

D NIOF, Al Anfushi 21556, Alexandria, Egypt.

E Corresponding author. Email: mymohamed@ksu.edu.sa; myousefgeology@gmail.com

Marine and Freshwater Research 71(10) 1241-1251 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF19306
Submitted: 20 September 2019  Accepted: 27 January 2020   Published: 18 March 2020

Abstract

To assess the heavy metal contamination in the sediments of Makadi Bay (Hurghada, Egypt), surface samples were collected from 32 locations. Six heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd) were analysed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The order of trace metal concentration in the samples was Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. The analytical results were subjected to univariate statistical analyses to evaluate the distribution and abundance of the metals in the area. The degree of pollution of the sediments by these metals was evaluated by calculating enrichment factors and the geoaccumulation, pollution load and soil pollution indices. The results indicated that all marine sediment locations are practically unpolluted by metals. The high metal concentrations of Pb and Cd due to anthropogenic sources (mean 38.76 and 2.43 μg g–1 respectively) recorded in most samples are essentially attributable to the anomalous concentrations of Pb and Cd in these samples. Both natural and anthropogenic sources of Pb and Cd contamination around Makadi Bay are possible. Generally, the levels of heavy metals in the study area do not constitute any serious environmental risk, except in the case of Pb and Cd.

Additional keywords: heavy metals, Hurghada, indices, pollution.


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