Cement and oil refining industries as the predominant sources of trace metal pollution in the Red Sea: A systematic study of element concentrations in the Red Sea zooplankton

by Chunzhi Cai, Reny P Devassy, Mohsen M. O. El-Sherbiny, Susana Agusti
RESEARCH ARTICLE Year: 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113221

Bibliography

Cai, C., Devassy, R. P., El-Sherbiny, M. M., & Agusti, S. (2022). Cement and oil refining industries as the predominant sources of trace metal pollution in the Red Sea: A systematic study of element concentrations in the Red Sea zooplankton. Marine pollution bulletin174, 113221.

Abstract

The Red Sea is exposed to metals from a large variety of natural and anthropogenic sources. In this study, we analyzed 19 common element concentrations in 14 Red Sea zooplankton samples using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The average metal or metalloid concentrations of the Red Sea zooplankton were: Ca > Sr > Fe > Al > Zn > As > Cu > Mn > Cr > Mo > Ni > Pb > Cd. The As, Ca, and Cu concentrations significantly increased with increasing latitude, while Cd concentrations decreased (p < 0.01). Our study indicated that anthropogenic activities (i.e., cement factories and oil refining industries) might be the predominant sources of significantly high Cr (1718 mg/kg), Fe (11,274 mg/kg), Mn (57.3 mg/kg), Mo (286 mg/kg), Ni (226 mg/kg), Pb (332 mg/kg), and Zn (17,046 mg/kg) concentrations that recorded in the Central to North Red Sea zooplankton.

Keywords

The Red Sea Zooplankton Trace metals Cement Oil refining industries