Heavy metal contamination and ecological risk assessment in the surface sediments of the coastal area surrounding the industrial complex of Gabes city, Gulf of Gabes, SE Tunisia

Radhouan El Zrelli; Pierre Courjault-Radé; Lotfi Rabaoui; Sylvie Castet; Sylvain Michel; Nejla Bejaoui

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.047

Heavy metal contamination and ecological risk assessment in the surface sediments of the coastal area surrounding the industrial complex of Gabes city, Gulf of Gabes, SE Tunisia

Radhouan El Zrelli^*, Pierre Courjault-Radé, Lotfi Rabaoui, Sylvie Castet, Sylvain Michel, Nejla Bejaoui

^*Corresponding author for this work

Applied Research Center for Environment and Marine Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

166 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the present study, the concentrations of 6 trace metals (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr and Zn) were assessed in the surface sediments of the central coastal area of Gabes Gulf to determine their contamination status, source, spatial distribution and ecological risks. The ranking of metal contents was found to be Zn. >. Cd. >. Cr. >. Pb. >. Cu. >. Hg. Correlation analysis indicated that Cd and Zn derived mainly from the Tunisian Chemical Group phosphogypsum. The other pollutants may originate from other industrial wastes. Metallic contamination was detected in the south of chemical complex, especially in the inter-harbor zone, where the ecological risk of surface sediments is the highest, implying potential negative impacts of industrial pollutants. The spatial distribution of pollutants seems to be due to the effect of harbor installations and coastal currents. The metallic pollution status of surface sediments of Gabes Gulf is obvious, very worrying and requires rapid intervention.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	922-929
Number of pages	8
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	101
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.047
State	Published - 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords

Ecological risk assessment
Gabes Gulf
Metallic contamination
Phosphogypsum
Sediment quality guidelines

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Oceanography
Aquatic Science
Pollution

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.047

Cite this

@article{7eb8862c22014c58b70a06db36f9ab1b,

title = "Heavy metal contamination and ecological risk assessment in the surface sediments of the coastal area surrounding the industrial complex of Gabes city, Gulf of Gabes, SE Tunisia",

abstract = "In the present study, the concentrations of 6 trace metals (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr and Zn) were assessed in the surface sediments of the central coastal area of Gabes Gulf to determine their contamination status, source, spatial distribution and ecological risks. The ranking of metal contents was found to be Zn. >. Cd. >. Cr. >. Pb. >. Cu. >. Hg. Correlation analysis indicated that Cd and Zn derived mainly from the Tunisian Chemical Group phosphogypsum. The other pollutants may originate from other industrial wastes. Metallic contamination was detected in the south of chemical complex, especially in the inter-harbor zone, where the ecological risk of surface sediments is the highest, implying potential negative impacts of industrial pollutants. The spatial distribution of pollutants seems to be due to the effect of harbor installations and coastal currents. The metallic pollution status of surface sediments of Gabes Gulf is obvious, very worrying and requires rapid intervention.",

keywords = "Ecological risk assessment, Gabes Gulf, Metallic contamination, Phosphogypsum, Sediment quality guidelines",

author = "\{El Zrelli\}, Radhouan and Pierre Courjault-Rad{\'e} and Lotfi Rabaoui and Sylvie Castet and Sylvain Michel and Nejla Bejaoui",

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year = "2015",

doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.047",

language = "English",

volume = "101",

pages = "922--929",

journal = "Marine Pollution Bulletin",

issn = "0025-326X",

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El Zrelli, R, Courjault-Radé, P, Rabaoui, L, Castet, S, Michel, S & Bejaoui, N 2015, 'Heavy metal contamination and ecological risk assessment in the surface sediments of the coastal area surrounding the industrial complex of Gabes city, Gulf of Gabes, SE Tunisia', Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 101, no. 2, pp. 922-929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.047

Heavy metal contamination and ecological risk assessment in the surface sediments of the coastal area surrounding the industrial complex of Gabes city, Gulf of Gabes, SE Tunisia. / El Zrelli, Radhouan; Courjault-Radé, Pierre; Rabaoui, Lotfi et al.
In: Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol. 101, No. 2, 2015, p. 922-929.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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T1 - Heavy metal contamination and ecological risk assessment in the surface sediments of the coastal area surrounding the industrial complex of Gabes city, Gulf of Gabes, SE Tunisia

AU - El Zrelli, Radhouan

AU - Courjault-Radé, Pierre

AU - Rabaoui, Lotfi

AU - Castet, Sylvie

AU - Michel, Sylvain

AU - Bejaoui, Nejla

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - In the present study, the concentrations of 6 trace metals (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr and Zn) were assessed in the surface sediments of the central coastal area of Gabes Gulf to determine their contamination status, source, spatial distribution and ecological risks. The ranking of metal contents was found to be Zn. >. Cd. >. Cr. >. Pb. >. Cu. >. Hg. Correlation analysis indicated that Cd and Zn derived mainly from the Tunisian Chemical Group phosphogypsum. The other pollutants may originate from other industrial wastes. Metallic contamination was detected in the south of chemical complex, especially in the inter-harbor zone, where the ecological risk of surface sediments is the highest, implying potential negative impacts of industrial pollutants. The spatial distribution of pollutants seems to be due to the effect of harbor installations and coastal currents. The metallic pollution status of surface sediments of Gabes Gulf is obvious, very worrying and requires rapid intervention.

AB - In the present study, the concentrations of 6 trace metals (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr and Zn) were assessed in the surface sediments of the central coastal area of Gabes Gulf to determine their contamination status, source, spatial distribution and ecological risks. The ranking of metal contents was found to be Zn. >. Cd. >. Cr. >. Pb. >. Cu. >. Hg. Correlation analysis indicated that Cd and Zn derived mainly from the Tunisian Chemical Group phosphogypsum. The other pollutants may originate from other industrial wastes. Metallic contamination was detected in the south of chemical complex, especially in the inter-harbor zone, where the ecological risk of surface sediments is the highest, implying potential negative impacts of industrial pollutants. The spatial distribution of pollutants seems to be due to the effect of harbor installations and coastal currents. The metallic pollution status of surface sediments of Gabes Gulf is obvious, very worrying and requires rapid intervention.

KW - Ecological risk assessment

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KW - Metallic contamination

KW - Phosphogypsum

KW - Sediment quality guidelines

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DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.047

M3 - Article

C2 - 26526855

AN - SCOPUS:84951112004

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Heavy metal contamination and ecological risk assessment in the surface sediments of the coastal area surrounding the industrial complex of Gabes city, Gulf of Gabes, SE Tunisia

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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