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Heavy metal contamination of surface seawaters in Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia

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Abstract

Assessment of water contamination, specially from anthropogenic contributions, is a global challenge due to its hazardous effects on marine organisms and human health. The present work aimed to document the state of heavy metal (HM) contamination and identify its potential sources in surface seawater along Ras Abu Ali Island, Arabian Gulf. Thirty-four seawater samples were collected and pollution indices, and multivariate statistical analyses were applied. The average concentration of HMS (μg/L) took the following descending order: Zn (11.44) > As (3.96) > Cu (3.77) > Ni (3.49) > Se (1.53) > Hg (0.65) > Co (0.27) > Pb (0.15) > Cd (0.08). The shallow southern part of the study area recorded the higher HM levels in comparison with the northern part faced to the open sea. The average values of Cu and Zn were greater than those reported from seawater in several coastal area of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, and Arabian Gulf. Levels of the heavy metal pollution index (HPI) indicated that 79.41% of the studied seawater samples fell under medium pollution and 20.59% fell under high pollution. However, all seawater samples are categorized under low contamination based on the degree of contamination (Cd). Multivariate analysis indicated anthropogenic sources for Pb, Hg, and Se, and mixed natural and anthropogenic sources for the remaining HMs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2021/139), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Also, the authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions and constructive comments.

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  1. Geology and Geophysics Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Khaled Al-Kahtany & Abdelbaset S. El-Sorogy

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  1. Khaled Al-Kahtany
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  2. Abdelbaset S. El-Sorogy
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Correspondence to Khaled Al-Kahtany.

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Al-Kahtany, K., El-Sorogy, A.S. Heavy metal contamination of surface seawaters in Abu Ali Island, Saudi Arabia. Arab J Geosci 15, 1662 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10949-y

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