Human-induced sediment degradation of Burullus lagoon, Nile Delta, Egypt: Heavy metals pollution status and potential ecological risk

Said A Shetaia; Atef M Abu Khatita; Nabil A Abdelhafez; Ibrahim M Shaker; Sameh B El Kafrawy

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113566

Human-induced sediment degradation of Burullus lagoon, Nile Delta, Egypt: Heavy metals pollution status and potential ecological risk

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 May:178:113566. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113566. Epub 2022 Mar 30.

Authors

Said A Shetaia¹, Atef M Abu Khatita², Nabil A Abdelhafez³, Ibrahim M Shaker⁴, Sameh B El Kafrawy⁵

Affiliations

¹ Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: said_abdelhady@azhar.edu.eg.
² Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; Geology Department, College of Science, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia.
³ Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁴ Limnology Department, Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research (CLAR), Abassa, Egypt.
⁵ Department of Marine Sciences, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Cairo, Egypt.

PMID: 35366554
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113566

Abstract

Heavy metals contamination level and their ecological risk of the Burullus lagoon were estimated using four cores and twelve surficial sediment samples. The distributions maps of Fe, Mn, Zn, Hg, Cu, and Pb indicate an increase toward drains areas, whereas Cd rises toward the Boughaz El-Burullus. The geoaccumulation index (I_geo) and contamination factor (CF) for heavy metal displayed the following order: Cd > Zn > Fe > Cu > Pb > Mn > Hg. The degree of contamination (C_d) indicates a considerable degree of contamination for 81.25% of the studied stations, and the pollution load index (PLI) suggested deterioration in 100% of sediments. Regarding the potential ecological risk (RI), the metals were arranged as: Cd > Hg > Cu > Pb > Zn, with considerable risk at the eastern part. According to sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), Zn concentrations suggest frequently adverse impacts on biota while Cu and Cd indicating an occasional adverse impact. Periodic monitoring of heavy metals in aquatic organisms is recommended to assess their toxic risk.

Keywords: Burullus lagoon; Distribution; Ecological risk; Heavy metals; Sediment.

MeSH terms

Cadmium
Egypt
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Humans
Lead
Mercury*
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Cadmium
Lead
Mercury