Dataset on the major and trace elements contents and contamination in the sediments of Saronikos Gulf and Elefsis Bay, Greece

Aristomenis P Karageorgis; Fotini Botsou; Helen Kaberi; Stylianos Iliakis

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2020.105330

Dataset on the major and trace elements contents and contamination in the sediments of Saronikos Gulf and Elefsis Bay, Greece

Data Brief. 2020 Feb 26:29:105330. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105330. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Authors

Aristomenis P Karageorgis¹, Fotini Botsou², Helen Kaberi¹, Stylianos Iliakis¹

Affiliations

¹ Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, 46.7 km Athens-Sounio Avenue, 19013, Anavyssos, Greece.
² Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Athens, Greece.

Abstract

Coastal marine sediments receive intensive stress from urbanization and industrialization, which is manifested by increased contents of heavy metals and organic pollutants. Saronikos Gulf and the small embayment of Elefsis, stretch along the coast of the greater Athens and Pireaus port, the most urbanized and industrialized areas in Greece. Here we present the data of a 20-year geochemical record on grain-size, organic carbon, and major and trace elements contents of the Saronikos Gulf sediments. A total of 216 sediment samples were collected within the period of 1999-2018 from the four sub-sectors of the gulf, namely, the Elefsis Bay, the Inner, Outer, and Western (Megara and Epidavros basin) Saronikos Gulf. Additionally, at least one core was obtained from each sub-sector. Sediments deposited at pre-industrial periods were recognized by ¹⁴C and ²¹⁰Pb dating, and served for establishing regionalized background levels of metals. Factor analysis was conducted to reveal the inter-parametric relationships, thus their common sources, as well as transport and deposition pathways. Then, Enrichment Factors and the multi-elemental Modified Pollution Index (MPI) were calculated to assess the current environmental status of the sediments. Data of sampling sites with at least a five-year record, were assessed for temporal trends, to explore whether sustained, increasing or decreasing trends of the MPI are observed. The dataset and analyses presented here support the research article entitled Geochemistry of major and trace elements in surface sediments of the Saronikos Gulf (Greece): assessment of contamination between 1999 and 2018 [1].

Keywords: Assessment of contamination; Eastern Mediterranean; Enrichment factors; Factor analysis; Metals; Saronikos Gulf and Elefsis Bay; Sediments; Temporal trend analysis.