Metal Concentrations In Sediments Research Articles

A 600 years sediment record of heavy metal pollution history in the Danube Delta

Heavy metal pollution in the Danube Delta (in sediments, water and living organisms) has recently received increasing attention due to its impact on ecosystems health and water quality. However, long term records of heavy metal contamination are not available to date. In this study radiometric dating and geochemical analyses for major elements (Al, Fe, Ca and S) and metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd) were performed on the top 4 m of a 9-m sediment core retrieved from the alluvial plain of Sulina distributary channel aiming to reconstruct the heavy metal geological background and contamination history and discuss the possible origins (natural vs. anthropogenic) of metals and the main factors driving their temporal variation. Chronological analysis revealed that the top 4 m of the core span the last ~600 years. Three distinct sediment units (U1: 400–200, U2: 200–140, U3: 140–15) were identified based on the downcore element concentration variation. The lower unit (400–200 cm, ~1450–1700 CE) shows an upward increase of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd metal contents, which are strongly correlated with Al. Enrichment factor (EF) analysis indicates that metals detected in this unit are derived primarily from natural sources. In contrast, metals show elevated EF values within the middle (200–140 cm, ~1700–1770 CE) and upper unit (140–15 cm, ~1770 CE to present). The highest degrees of enrichment of Cu, Zn and Cd occur in the peat layer of the middle unit (U2) which displays higher organic carbon and sulfur contents, indicating that diagenetic enrichment of detected metals occurs under reducing condition. Overall, sediment contamination is moderate while the level increases with time. This study provides new insights into the metal contamination history of deltaic environments and yields baseline values for heavy metal contents in pristine sediments deposited prior to the onset of anthropogenic impact.

Eco-toxic risk assessment and source distribution of trace metals in surface sediments of the coastal and in four rivers estuary of Sarawak

BackgroundTrace metals pollution in the coastal and estuarine sediment could harm water quality and aquatic organisms, leading to potential long-term health risks on the environment and humans. Thus, the purpose of this study was to conduct an assessment of selected trace metals in surface sediments of the coastal and in four rivers estuary in the Sarawak State of Malaysia to investigate their distribution, environmental risk, and potential source distribution.ResultsAverage concentrations of trace metals in sediment increased in the following order: Cd ˂ As ˂ Co ˂ Cu ˂ Ni ˂ Cr ˂ Zn ˂ Mn ˂ Mg ˂ Fe. The enrichment, contamination, and geo-accumulation index results showed that surface sediments were polluted with Zn and Mg. In contrast, the other metals (i.e., As, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, and Cd) indicated background concentration to minor contamination. Generally, the pollution load index values showed that almost all the sampling sites were unpolluted with the selected trace metals. Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and risk indexes were employed to assess the ecotoxicological risk of trace metal contamination in the sediments. The results proved that studied trace metals are not likely to have a deleterious impact on bottom-dwelling organisms. Still, a further accumulation of trace metals such as Zn, Ni, and Cr with time may adversely affect bottom-dwelling organisms. The risk index results showed a low ecological risk to the study sites. The correlation analysis and principal component analysis indicated that nine studied trace metals have strong interrelationships, suggesting common pollution sources or similar geochemical characteristics.ConclusionsThe study highlights the need to make tremendous efforts to monitor and control trace metal pollution in the coastal and estuarine areas.

Toxic metal pollution and ecological risk assessment in water and sediment at ship breaking sites in the Bay of Bengal Coast, Bangladesh

Quantification of four toxic metals (As, Cr, Cd, and Pb) in water and sediments at the Sitakunda ship breaking area in Bangladesh was studied. Along with this, sediment quality and ecological risk were evaluated for the metal intrusion to the study area. A total sample number of 120 (water; n = 60 and sediment; n = 60) were analyzed for both winter and summer seasons using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The trace metal concentration in both water and sediment showed decreasing trend as follows; Cr (mean-W: 0.118 mg/L; mean-S:121.87 mg/kg) > Pb (mean-W: 0.064 mg/L; mean-S: 65.31 mg/kg) > As (mean-W: 0.03 mg/L; mean-S: 32.53 mg/kg) > Cd (mean-W: 0.004 mg/L; mean-S: 4.81 mg/kg). However, in both segments, the concentrations of the toxic metals exceeded the recommended acceptable limits. As and Cd showed significant variation (water and sediment) between the seasons, while Pb and Cr had no seasonal impact. Metal pollution index (MPI) and contamination factor (CF) was evaluated and revealed that the study area exhibited the critical score of water quality (MPI > 100). The cumulative effect of the metal concentrations was high (CI > 3). The assessed mean geoaccumulaiton index (Igeo) revealed that the study area was moderate to strongly polluted except for Cr. According to the contamination factor (CF), the sediment samples were moderate to highly contaminated by Cd, Pb, and As. Moreover, the explored range of pollution load index (PLI) in all sampling sites in the ship breaking region was from 1.75 to 3.10, suggesting that the sediment in the study area was highly polluted by heavy metals (PLI > 1). The risk index and the potential ecological risk index (PERI) suggested that the study area was at high risk due to metals pollution. Therefore, it is obligatory to maintain some crucial efforts for the betterment of the surrounding environment near the investigated sites.

Monitored Natural Recovery of Contaminated Sediment in Cottonwood Bay, Texas

ABSTRACT Monitored natural recovery (MNR) is a response action for contaminated sediment that relies on natural processes to reduce ecological and human health risks to acceptable levels over time. Multi-media long-term monitoring is necessary to verify remedy effectiveness and success. Whereas MNR has most often been employed together with other engineered remedies to address contaminated sediment, this case study describes an evaluation demonstrating the suitability of MNR with adaptive management as a stand-alone sediment remedial strategy for Cottonwood Bay, located in Dallas, Texas. Current risks at the Cottonwood Bay site are associated with human consumption of fish contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The lines of evidence used to evaluate MNR included documentation of source control; review of PCB burial/isolation and surface sediment recovery; evaluation of sediment deposition and sediment stability; and demonstration of decreasing temporal trends in fish tissue PCB concentrations. The multiple lines of evidence demonstrated that source control and natural recovery processes have contributed substantially to reduced concentrations of PCBs and metals in surface sediments and PCBs in fish. MNR has been approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and is incorporated as a stand-alone remedy in the revised Remedial Action Plan (RAP) for Cottonwood Bay. A long-term monitoring plan is being implemented as part of an MNR response action to confirm decreasing trends in surface sediment and fish fillet PCB concentrations over time and to demonstrate the continued effectiveness of natural recovery processes.

The relationship between sediment metal concentration and Odonata (Insecta) larvae assemblage structure in Cerrado streams

The relationship between sediment metal concentration and Odonata (Insecta) larvae assemblage structure in Cerrado streams

Possible health risk assessment for heavy metal concentrations in water, sediment, and fish species and Turkmen pregnant women's biomonitoring in Miankaleh Peninsula, Iran.

This study investigated the human biomonitoring of heavy metals in the water, sediments, and tissues of mostly consumed fish species using Turkmen pregnant women's biomarkers in winter 2019, at the Miankaleh Peninsula, north of Iran. Metal concentrations were measured in various fish organs as well as pregnant women's blood, hair, and nail as biological indicators. For this purpose, a total of 20 water and sediment, 14 fish, and 16 human samples were collected. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to evaluate the concentration of Cr, Co, Cu, As, Hg, and Pb. Results showed metals with the highest concentrations as Cu and Cr in water (93.35 and 80.91µg/l, respectively), Hg and Pb in sediment (7.40µg/g for both), Cu and Pb in the liver (27.00 and 18.9µg/g for C. carpio; 1414 and 31.7µg/g for L. auratus), muscle (10.00 and 18.80 for C. carpio; 37.20 and 8.27µg/g for L. auratus), and skin (26.40 and 9.90 for C. carpio; 10.80 and 11.74µg/g for L. auratus). In addition, Cu, in pregnant women samples, had the highest values at 2.53mg/l, 8.87, 36.46, and 29.04µg/g for blood, hair, fingernail, and toenail, respectively. However, Co showed the lowest concentration in all studied samples. Fish liver and fingernail of pregnant women did reveal the highest heavy metal accumulation, whereas fish muscle and blood of pregnant women had the lowest accumulated heavy metals. The concentration of Hg in water, sediment, fish muscle, and women's blood and hair exceeded the limits suggested by various organizations. Therefore, this study highlighted that heavy metal concentration, in particular Hg, in water, sediments, and fish is a serious risk to the health of local inhabitants who rely on fisheries products and recommended that necessary information should be provided to warn Turkmen pregnant women in consumption of Hg-contaminated fish in this area.

Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Nutrients and Heavy Metals in Sediments of the Fuhe River Influenced Area, Baiyangdian Lake

Based on the flow direction of the Fuhe River into Baiyangdian Lake, the impacted area of the Fuhe River was divided into 6 subareas, and sediments from 48 sites were collected in November 2020. The characteristics and risks of sediment nutrients and heavy metal pollution in these six subareas were investigated. The results showed that the average ω(TN), ω(TP), and ω(TOC) were 1841 mg·kg-1, 769 mg·kg-1, and 1.77%, respectively. The major heavy metals were Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg, and Pb, which were 3.73, 1.50, 1.42, 1.31, and 1.31 times the soil background values for Hebei Province, respectively. The TP and heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg, and Pb) content showed a decreasing trend from the Fuhe River estuary to the downstream Zaolinzhuang, whereas the TN and TOC content showed no marked trends. TN, TP, TOC, and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg, and Pb) were enriched in surface sediments (0-10 cm). The TP content in the surface sediments (0-10 cm) of the Fuhe River estuary, Fuhe River estuary-Nanliuzhuang, and Nanliuzhuang subareas were heavily polluted; the Wangjiazhai and Guangdian subareas were moderately polluted; and the Zaolinzhuang subarea was slightly polluted. Cd and Hg were the major contributors to heavy metal pollution, which were at considerable risk and moderate risk levels, respectively. The heavy metals in surface sediments (0-10 cm) of the Fuhe River estuary, Fuhe River estuary-Nanliuzhuang, and Nanliuzhuang subareas were at a considerable risk level, and the sediments below 30 cm presented a low risk level. The leaching concentrations of heavy metals in sediments from the subarea of severe ecological risk level were far less than the identification standard values of leaching toxicity, suggesting that the sediments can be treated as general waste after dredging.

Occurrence, Spatial Distribution and Ecological Impact of Heavy Metals in Rivers, Lakes and Marine Environments of Tamil Nadu, India

The importance of a clean environment is recognized as a “pillar” of sustainable development. There is, however, a serious public health threat associated with heavy metal releases into the environment. Aquatic environments in Tamil Nadu state of India lack heavy metals monitoring data. From year 2008 to 2022, research articles were assessed that focused at heavy metal concentrations in freshwater and marine ecosystems. It has been shown that elevated levels of heavy metals in sediments of aquatic ecosystems contribute to an increase in their abundance, which may further enter the food chain through bioaccumulation. In addition, intensifying human exploitation of the South East Coastal region (SEC) in Tamil Nadu state of India through industries, tourism, aquaculture and recreation further complicates the situation by providing ever-changing sources of contamination. As a result of analyzing all heavy metals, the levels of Cd in biota collected from ocean environments were higher. Rivers and lakes have shown increased levels of heavy metals such as Zn, Cu and Pb as a result of localized anthropogenic activities. In accordance with sediment guidelines and human health risk assessments, most of the heavy metals concentrations in sediments and aquatic biota exceeded the permissible limits. It is highly recommended that more monitoring studies are conducted to monitor the levels of heavy metals in organisms and in urban rivers, lakes and marine environments in the future, with extreme importance both for environmental health and economics. By identifying the sources of pollutants and implementing strict policies to abate pollution, local governments can implement better control measures to decrease pollution levels.

Distribution and provenance of heavy metals in sediments of the Vrbas River, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements, but they are regarded as significant environmental pollutants due to their high density and high toxicity even at low concentrations. The aim of this paper is the evaluation of the pollution level of heavy metals in the river and riverbank sediments, as well as the estimation of their origin and spatial differences along the course of the Vrbas River through Banja Luka. The concentrations of metals have been assessed using the Inductively coupled plasma ? optical emission spectrometry and Advanced mercury analyzer for mercury determination. The anthropogenic impact on heavy metal concentration in sediments was estimated by the calculating of pollution indices: geoaccumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (Cf), pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (Er). Obtained results indicate that there is no statistically significant spatial difference in metal concentration, indicating that heavy metals in sediments have a constant source. The anthropogenic impact expressed by the values of pollution indices showed that sites are generally uncontaminated by Co, Cr and V and moderately contaminated by Zn, Cu and Ni. On the contrary, lead, mercury and cadmium pose the highest ecological risk. The anthropogenic source of Pb, Hg and Cd is industry, municipal waste and the combustion of fossil fuels. The obtained results demonstrate the high ecological risk and the need for environmental monitoring, with the aim to support an efficient strategy to reduce local pollution and contamination of the investigated system.

A Pilot Study on the Concentration of Heavy Metals in Sediments from the Lower Orange River, //Karas Region, Namibia

Global water shortage is caused not just by the physical scarcity of water, but also by gradual deterioration of the quality of water resources such as lakes, streams and rivers with heavy metals. This present study evaluated the status of Mn, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, As, Zn, Pb and Cd in sediments from the lower Orange River by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry technique by collecting a total of eleven samples, each weighing 1 - 2 kg at the depth of 15 - 20 cm from two observations sites along the lower Orange River and applying pollution indicators such as contamination factor(CF), pollution load index(PLI), index of geo-accumulation(Igeo) and enrichment factor(EF) to assay the nature and extent of heavy metals contamination in sediments. The sequence of the total heavy metal content in descending order was Fe > Mn > Cr > As > Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb > Cd. The results of CF and Igeo showed Mn, Cd, Ni, Zn and Pb were minor sources of sediment contamination since most of the samples were unpolluted and moderately polluted by these metals. However, most sediments were moderate to considerably polluted with Cr, As and Fe suggesting that these were the major pollution sources. The value of PLI at one of the two observation sites was equivalent to the value of baseline level, while the next site indicted quality deterioration of the sediments. The EF revealed that Cr was moderately enriched and arsenic (As) significantly enriched in all the sediments, which suggested contamination due to anthropogenic intervention. Hence, it is recommended that sediment quality be evaluated on a regular basis to avoid further deterioration of the Orange River’s health, which might have detrimental repercussions for both aquatic life and local communities along the river.

A Pilot Study on the Concentration of Heavy Metals in Sediments from the Lower Orange River, //Karas Region, Namibia

A Pilot Study on the Concentration of Heavy Metals in Sediments from the Lower Orange River, //Karas Region, Namibia

Assessment of Heavy Metal Loadings of Water and Sediment of River Enumabia in Orokam, Benue State, Nigeria

Enumabia being the only surviving river in Orokam community gave us the concern to assess the concentration of heavy metals in water and sediment in the river. 20 samples of water and Sediment were taken from four (4) different points 20 meters apart and analysed for heavy metals by the use of AA-700 Dual Atomizer Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer in Energy Research Centre, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In water, the concentration of Fe ranges from 0.7669 to 0.9214 mg/l, Pb ranges from 1.3300 to 1.7210 mg/l, As ranges from 0.9032 to 2.0120 mg/l, and there was no concentration of Hg, Cr and Al. The concentration of metals in the water samples are at the range of permissible limit set by World Health Organization (WHO) except Pb, and As that are fairly higher than the permissible limit. In sediment, the concentration of Fe ranges from 128.8812 to 113.9563 mg/l, Pb ranges from 0.2500 to 0.9520 mg/l, Cr ranges from 0.1240 to 0.6676 mg/l, Al ranges from 10.0000 to 16.0000 mg/l, As ranges from 0.0000 to 1.1240 mg/l, Cu ranges from 0.2420 to 0.8490 mg/l and there was no concentration of Hg. The concentration of Fe, Pb, Cr and As in the sediment exceeded the standards set by WHO. This presence could be detrimental to plant, human being and aquatic life. Since there is fast accumulation of toxic and carcinogenic metals present in the water and sediment samples collected from Enumabia River in Orokam there is need for a follow up study to determine how the human and aquatic lives have been affected.

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediment at the newly established tannery industrial Estate in Bangladesh: A case study

This research work was focused to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals ( i.e. , Cr, Pb, Mn, Cu and Fe) in sediment samples collected from the Dhaleshwari River near the area of a newly established tannery industrial estate, Savar, Bangladesh. The heavy metals in sediment samples were ascertained by the atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). This study revealed that the metal concentration for chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) were found to be 14.8–748 (186 ± 241) mg/kg, 2.38–21.1 (8.78 ± 6.15) mg/kg, 1.59–6.29 (3.12 ± 1.38) mg/kg, 0.36–4.75 (1.76 ± 1.47) mg/kg and 3.87–154 (42.7 ± 49.1) mg/kg (dry wt) respectively. The concentration of heavy metals in sediment samples descends with the following order: Cr > Fe > Pb > Mn > Cu. Sediment contamination was assessed on the basis of geo-accumulation index ( I geo ), contamination factor ( CF ) and pollution load index ( PLI ). The average I geo values for Cr, Pb, Mn, Cu and Fe were found to be (−0.44 ± 1.87), (−2.18 ± 1.20), (−8.80 ± 0.63), (−5.80 ± 1.36) and (1.59 ± 1.87) respectively. The I geo values values of Cr and Fe for some sampling stations were found to be higher. The PLI value for all the sample stations (S1-S8) were 0.58, 0.66, 0.71, 0.69, 0.88, 0.86, 0.83 and 0.83 correspondingly. The CF values for Cr and Fe in some stations was observed at moderate, considerate and high contamination level. The spatial distribution of heavy metals in the study area was presented by interpolation technique. The results of spatial distribution pattern showed that the high concentrated zones of Cr was found at the dumping zone (~S5) of the leather industrial city. On the other hand, the spatial distribution pattern for the studied metals (Pb, Mn, Cu and Fe) showed that the maximum metals concentrations were found in the southeastern part, which was nearby effluent dumping zone. The ecological risk assessment in sediment samples revealed that there is no significant risk observed by the metal( oid )s at this moment. Considering Cr concentration, the modified hazard quotient ( mHQ ) showed that about 75% of the samples were low to severely polluted by Cr, while 25% of the samples were extremely polluted by Cr as well as mHQ ≤ 3.5. Based on PMF analysis, two potential sources of heavy metals were identified in the study region: first, biochemical and leather tanning industries (Cr); second, the mixed effect of geogenic sources and atmospheric deposition and traffic emission (Fe and Pb). • The conc. for Cr, Pb, Mn, Cu and Fe in sediment samples were determined by AAS. • The concentration of heavy metals in sediment descends Cr > Fe > Pb > Mn > Cu • Spatial distribution pattern showed that the high Cr conc was found at the dumping zone • There is no significant ecological risk was observed by the metal( oid )s in the study area. • PMF analysis revealed two potential sources of heavy metals in the study region

ASSESSMENT OF TEMPORAL VARIATION OF HEAVY METALS IN SEDIMENTS OF WARRI RIVER, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Contaminated sediment poses a serious environmental problem, therefore knowledge of the concentration of heavy metals in stream sediments is very important because of their significance to aquatic life and human health. The concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, As, Ni, Zn, Fe and Cu), in stream sediments of some parts of Warri River, Southwestern Nigeria were examined during the rainy and dry seasons using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, in order to assess their contamination levels using the environmental contamination indexes; Geoaccumulation Index, Enrichment Factor (EF), and Contamination Factor (CF). For both the rainy and dry seasons, the results revealed average heavy metal concentrations obtained in all samples in the study area in the order As>Cd>Pb>Ni>Cr>Zn>Cu>Fe. The trend in mean Igeo values was as follows: As (-0.66) > Zn (-4.93) > Cu (-5.8) > Fe (-5.31) > Cd (5.76) > Pb (-6.35) > Ni (11.25), showing that River Warri’s sediments were not polluted by heavy metals. Cu= Zn (0.08), Cd (0.34), Pb (0.02), As (0.01), and Ni (0.00) were the mean CF values across all measured locations, indicating a low contamination factor. The average EFs for the sediments were As (1.09) > Cd (1.10) > Cu (1.46) > Zn (1.61) > Pb (1.09) > Ni (1.09) > Fe (0.83), showing low enrichment (<2). Evaluation of enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index and contamination factor values showed that the stream sediments of the study area were unpolluted. Heavy metals in the sediments were found to be linked to anthropogenic activities in the study region, according to the results of the hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The metal concentrations in the sediment were found to be elevated at some sampled points, it is therefore recommended that annual monitoring of the stream sediments of the study area is undertaken. Also, sustainable practices should be employed in order to conserve the resources of the Warri River.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО СОСТОЯНИЯ ВЕРХОВЬЯ РЕКИ ОЛЬГОХТЫ ПО СОДЕРЖАНИЮ ТЯЖЁЛЫХ МЕТАЛЛОВ

The article provides information on the content of heavy metals in surface waters, bottom sediments and muscles of silver carp in the Olgokhta river upper reach. The gathered data analysis shows that concentration of heavy metals in researched objects does not exceed their maximum allowable values. The acquired data could be considered as a background value for the region due to the absence of anthropogenic load on the watercourse.

Assessing the Potential of Mechanical Aeration Combined with Bioremediation Process in Soils and Coastal Sediments Impacted by Heavy Metals

<abstract> <p>Microorganisms make use of heavy metals through enzymatic, non-enzymatic processes or bioaccumulation in bacterial cells in insoluble or particulate forms and by-products. Increasing effectiveness of bioremediation is still being explored and other stimulation techniques cited by various authors used mostly EDTA, nitrogen fertiliser and other amendments. The use of mechanical aeration combined with bioremediation using <italic>Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa</italic> and <italic>Pseudomonas fluoresecens</italic> offer a greener approach with more efficient remediation capabilities. Zinc exceeded the permissible limit recommended by FAO/WHO by more than two folds while other metals were close to the threshold limit posing a dangerous threat to human health. Implementation of the current package treatment showed statistically significant decreases in heavy metal concentrations in both soils and coastal sediments in a 90 days experiment under atmospheric conditions. For sediments, 21.4% to 100% bioremediation was achieved under mechanical aeration conditions representing an increase of up to 60% efficiency compared to non-aeration while for soil highest efficacy achieved was 63.1%. However, the mechanisms and pathways of bioremediation were noticed to depend according to biotic and abiotic factors. This article provides an insight on the comparison between proposed stimulation technique and other methods reported.</p> </abstract>

Status and contamination assessment of heavy metals pollution in coastal sediments, southern Kuwait

<abstract> <p>To assess the heavy metals concentration in the coastal sediments of the southern Kuwait coast, Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Co, Cd and Cr were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Whereas, the south of Kuwait coast is characterized by the presence of tourist resorts, and commercial and oil exports harbors. Moreover, environmental indicators were used to help in evaluating the degree and the intensity of pollutants in these sediments. Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) revealed that the sediments of hard all Hamara and Al-Khiran coasts are moderately polluted by Cu, while Ras Al-Zour and Ras Al-Jula'ia coasts are moderately polluted by Cd. Moreover, the enrichment factor (EF) indicated that the sediments of Hadd Al-Hamara coast are severely enriched with Ni, Cr and Pb, while the Al-Khiran coast is moderate severely enriched with the same metals. Ras Al-Zour and Ras Al-Jula'ia coasts are severely enriched with Ni and very severely enriched with Pb. Simultaneously, all studied sites are extremely severely enriched with Cu and Cd. These results were confirmed by the results of the contamination factor (CF) and the soil pollution index (SPI) indicated that Hadd Al-Hamara and Al-Khiran coasts are highly contaminated with Cu and Cd, while Ras Al-Zour and Ras Al-Jula'ia coasts are highly contaminated with Cd. Generally, the pollution load index showed that the sediments of all studied sites are no heavy metal pollution (PLI < 1). Pollutants might be originated from commercial wastes and construction activities.</p> </abstract>

Heavy Metals Content in Water and Sediments in the Upper Litani River Basin, Lebanon

Surface water quality is largely influenced by both natural processes and anthropogenic inputs. This study involves the characterization of the concentration of heavy metals of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, and the sources of pollution in water and sediment of the Upper Litani River Basin (ULRB) in Lebanon. The investigation was performed during three seasons of rainy, mid-rainy spring and wet periods for two years during different flow rates. Sediments were characterized by a set of chemical analyses, cation exchange capacity (CEC), mineralogy of the sediments, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). To assess metal contamination in sediment, Consensus-Based Sediment Quality Guidelines of Wisconsin (CBSQG) were applied. The metals contamination in the sediments was also evaluated by contamination factor (Cf). The test results showed that the effect of seasonal variations was significant in the Upper Litani River Basin. Principal Compound Analysis (PCA) and Pearson’s correlation were also performed in this study to compare and determine the correlation between metals in water and sediments. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr and Zn in all sediment samples are above the norms in winter, while Fe was increased in summer. The results showed that the importance of monitoring of changes of heavy metals values and physico-chemical characterization of different parameters could represent the possibility of a comprehensive assessment of negative pressures on the water and soil ecosystem of Litani River Basin during different seasons.

Analysis of research methodology on the content of heavy metals in sediments on the Indonesian coastal

Heavy metal pollution is one of the problems that often occurs in Indonesian coastal waters. Comparative methods of looking at heavy metal content in coastal sediments include a way to show similarities and differences between one or more articles by using certain criteria. Different comparison methods to see the heavy metal content in sediments include the AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer) method, AAN (Netron Activation Analysis), Regression, and USEPA methods. Based on the comparison of 2 methods, namely: AAS and AAN methods, the most efficient in analyzing heavy metals in sediments in coastal areas is the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) method compared to the Neutron Activation Analysis (AAS) method.Keywords:CoastalSedimentHeavy MetalSpectrophotometer

Evaluation of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Water, Sediment and Fishes of New Calabar River in Southern Nigeria

The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of heavy metals in surface water, sediment and selected fish samples in New Calabar River. Samples for analyses were collected for six months across three stations between 08:00 and 12:00 hrs on each sampling day. Physicochemical parameters and metals in water, sediments and tissues of fishes were analyzed following standard procedure using a spectrophotometer. In surface waters, iron, nickel and zinc were above recommended limit while in sediments chromium, iron, nickel, lead and zinc were above the limit. No significant differences were observed in metal concentration in the tissues of the three species. The levels of heavy metals reported in Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, Tilapia zilli and Papyrocranus afer were higher than that reported in surface waters and sediment, indicating bioaccumulation potentials of metals in fishes. Among the three species, the highest metal concentration was reported in the tissues of T. zilli followed by P. afer and C. nigrodigitatus. The presence of elevated non-essential metals like chromium and lead in fishery products of the New Calabar River requires regular assessment, regulatory and mitigative actions to reduce the burden of metal accumulation in human population through consumption of fishery products.