LEACHABLE AND TOTAL NINE HEAVY METALS IN MUDDY AND SANDY SEDIMENT COLLECTED FROM SUEZ GULF

LEACHABLE AND TOTAL NINE HEAVY METALS IN MUDDY
AND SANDY SEDIMENT COLLECTED FROM SUEZ GULF
AMANY EL-SIKAILY, AZZA KHALED, AHMED EL NEMR*
Environmental Division, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Kayet Bay, ElAnfushy, Alexandria, Egypt.
Keywords: Suez Gulf, Red Sea, Sediment, Heavy metals, Pollution.
ABSTRACT
The concentrations of nine heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in
labile and total fractions of muddy and sandy sediment samples, collected from seven sites
in Suez Gulf in April 1999, were determined in order to evaluate the pollution status of the
Suez Gulf. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to determine the metal
contents by means of using (SD-M-2/TM) certified reference material (National Research
Council of Canada). The enrichment factors (EFs) were calculated for each element. EFs
revealed that sediments were highly enriched by Cd, Co, and Pb, moderately enriched by
Cu, Ni and Zn and slightly enriched by Cr and Mn. The concentrations of most studied
metals in sediments were interpreted using the Effect Range-Low (ERL) and the Effect
Range-Median (ERM) for all investigated locations. The levels of heavy metals pollution in
mud and sand fractions were measured using the Index of Geoaccumulation (Igeo
). Fe and
Cr were in the unpolluted level and Co, Cu and Zn showed low polluted level whereas Pb
and Mn exhibited low to moderate pollution level at most of the examined locations.