HEAVY METALS CONTENT AND GRAIN SIZE OF SEDIMENTS FROM SUEZ BAY, RED SEA, EGYPT

HEAVY METALS CONTENT AND GRAIN SIZE OF SEDIMENTS
FROM SUEZ BAY, RED SEA, EGYPT
EL-MOSELHY, KH. M.* and ABD EL-AZIM, H.
National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), Suez, Egypt
P.O. Box 182, Suez
Keywords: Sediments, Grain size, Heavy metals, Suez Bay.
ABSTRACT
Heavy metals distribution (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) and grain size
analysis were investigated in the inshore and offshore sediments of Suez Bay (northern part
of the Gulf of Suez). Data of the grain size indicated that sandy sediments dominated most
of the study area, covering the offshore part of the bay; while coarse-grained sediments
were distributed in the nearshore stations. Concentration of metals in the bulk sediments
and < 63 µm fraction (Fe > Mn > V > Zn > Pb > Ni > Co > Cr > Cu > Cd) revealed the
effect of the pollution sources, specially at the stations in front of the sources. Where the
stations in front of the petroleum activities were characterized by high levels of V, Cu and
Pb, while the stations in front of electric power stations had high values of Cr and Ni. In
addition, the inter-elemental relationships between the studied metals showed the
importance of the pollution sources which affect the metals content of sediment, whereas
Ni was strongly associated with V (r = 0.975) indicating that the metals resulted from the
same sources. Determination of metals in 7 grain size fractions of sediments indicated that
the distributions of metals in inshore and offshore sediments depended on the amount/type
of pollutant and the nature of the sediment composition. Most of the studied metals were
gradually increased with decreasing the grain size of sediments and chiefly associated with
the clay (and silt) forming mineral phases. This trend reflects combination effects of
possible industrial pollution with the natural constituents of sediments.