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Distribution, risk assessment, and source identification of trace metal pollution along the Babolsar coastal area, Caspian Sea

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Abstract

The Caspian Sea is exposed to numerous anthropogenic activities such as untreated wastewater discharge and agricultural activities which increased trace metals contamination. The current study was employed to assess the distribution, ecological risk assessment, and source identification of some trace metals in 125 samples of surface sediments and soil from 6 distinctive sections of Babolsar in the coastal line of the Caspian Sea. The sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and individual risk assessment indices including enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (Cf), and potential risk factor (Er) suggested a hazardous level of Cd and Cr contamination. There was a relatively high level of Pb contamination while other studied trace metals were at a low contamination level. Cumulative risk indices such as modified degree of contamination (mCD), pollution load index (PLI), and the potential ecological risk index (RI) identified that the river, wetland, and farmland sites were more contaminated compared to the Caspian Sea samples which exhibited a moderate level of contamination. The lowest level of contamination was recorded in the coastline and river delta sites. Two analytical methods including Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multivariate clustering dendrogram were also applied to identify the potential sources of contamination. The results suggested that wastewaters, nitrogen, and phosphate fertilizers were the main anthropogenic source of Cd, Co, Pb, and Ni while fossil fuels and transportation activities were the predominant sources of anthropogenic Cu, V, and Zn contamination. Further studies about trace metals risk assessment and fractionation could contribute to more effective decisions for reducing the anthropogenic trace metal pollution in the Caspian Sea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran

    Seyedeh Atefeh Moafi Madani & Payman Rezaee

  2. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Seyed Reza Mosavi Harami

  3. Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran

    Abolfazl Naji

  4. Department of Biogeochemistry and Geology, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Wiener Str. 7, Bremen, Germany

    Abolfazl Naji

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  1. Seyedeh Atefeh Moafi Madani
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  2. Seyed Reza Mosavi Harami
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  3. Payman Rezaee
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  4. Abolfazl Naji
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Contributions

Seyedeh Atefeh Moafi Madani (trace metal extraction, analysis, writing original draft preparation), Seyed Reza Mosavi Harami (conceptualization, critical discussion, and project administration), Payman Rezaee (trace metal extraction and analysis, critical discussion), Abolfazl Naji (conceptualization, critical discussion, project administration). All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Abolfazl Naji.

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Madani, S.A.M., Harami, S.R.M., Rezaee, P. et al. Distribution, risk assessment, and source identification of trace metal pollution along the Babolsar coastal area, Caspian Sea. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 89121–89131 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21991-4

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