Spatial distribution and contamination of specific heavy metals in the sediment of Bahr Mouse, Egypt.

Abstract

Fifty-seven sediment samples from Bahr Mouse in Sharkiya, Egypt, were analyzed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer for ten heavy metals. The mean metal concentrations followed the order: Fe > Mn > Zn > Co > Ni > Cr > Pb > Cu > Hg > Cd. Single environmental indices such as the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and contamination factors (CF) suggested that the sediments in Bahr Mouse are unpolluted (average <1). However, enrichment factors (EF) revealed severe enrichment for Co and moderately severe enrichment for Cd and Pb in some stations. Despite this, integrated indices such as contamination degree (Cdeg) and pollution load index (PLI) indicated an overall absence of heavy metal pollution in the sediments of the study area.