Comprehensive pollution monitoring of the Egyptian Red Sea coast by using the environmental indicators

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 27; no. 23; pp. 28813 - 28828
• Main Authors: Nour, Hamdy El Sayed, Nouh, El Said
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Boats; Cadmium; Cobalt; Contamination; Copper; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental indicators; Environmental monitoring; Environmental science; Fishing vessels; Indicators; Iron; Landfills; Lead; Manganese; Metals; Multivariate statistical analysis; Nickel; Pollution indicators; Pollution monitoring; Pollution sources; Principal components analysis; Research Article; Sediments; Statistical analysis; Tourist activities; Waste disposal sites; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zinc; Red Sea; Pollution monitoring; Red Sea; Sediments; Egypt; Environmental indicators
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09079-3

The environmental pollution indicators and multivariate statistical analysis were used to evaluate the potential ecological risk and the contamination of Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cu, Cd, and Co in surface sediments of the Egyptian Red Sea coast. The results revealed that the studied area suffers from high contamination of certain metals such as the Hurghada area (Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Cu), Quseir City area (Cd, Co, Pb, and Ni), and Safaga and Marsa Alam areas (Cd and Pb). Enrichment factor and principal components analysis reported that the pollution sources of Fe, Mn, and Co are related to natural weathering process while Cu, Zn, Ni, and Pb are related to anthropogenic sources as landfill, plastic rubbish, fishing boats, phosphate operations, and tourist activities. Moreover, Co and Cd metals can come from both of natural and anthropogenic sources. The average concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, and Co in sediments of the Egyptian Red Sea coast are higher than those in the coasts of the Red Sea (Saudi Arabia), Mediterranean Sea (Egypt and Libya), Bengal bay (India), and the Caspian Sea (Russia). However, the studied metal content is lower than the sediment quality guideline values except for Cd.