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Assessing the trace metal pollution in the sediments of Mahshahr Bay, Persian Gulf, via a novel pollution index

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Abstract

Sediment samples were collected from the Petrochemical Special Economic Zone of Mahshahr Bay, Persian Gulf, and analyzed for possible trace metal contamination by means of a chemical partitioning method. The heavy metal contents in the sediments follow the order of Al > Sr > Mn > Zn > Ni > Ba > Cr > Cu > As > Co. The degree of sediment contamination was evaluated using pollution load index (PLI), modified degree of contamination (mC d), geo-accumulation index (I geo), and enrichment factor (EF). All these indices compare present concentrations of metals to their background levels in crust and shale. In a specific area with high geological background like Mahshahr Bay, such a comparison may lead to erroneous conclusions. Due to the remarkable contribution of lithogenous fraction, as the natural component, to the bulk concentration of trace metals in the sediments of such an area, assessment of chemical hazard to the surrounding aquatic environment should not be carried out through traditional approaches. In the present study, anthropogenic portion of the metals was determined through one-step chemical sequential extraction and lithogenous portion substituted for the mean crust and shale levels in the new pollution index (RIAquatic). PLI, mC d, and I geo revealed overall low values, but EF, pollution index (I POLL), and newly developed pollution index were relatively high for all samples.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company for their assistance during the field study. This study was a research project sponsored by the Research and Development Center (R&D) of Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company through grant 0871699104. We would like to express our gratitude to the Department of Environment of Iran for assistance in sampling.

Compliance with ethical standards

This study has been done through a project sponsored by the Research and Development Center (R&D) of Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company through grant 0871699104. Also, there is no conflict of interest in this study. It should be added that this article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors, and for this type of study formal consent is not required.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, 1417853111, #23, Azin Avenue, Ghods Street, Enghelab Square, Tehran, Iran

    A. R. Vaezi & A. R. Karbassi

  2. University of Minnesota, 173 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave., St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    M. Fakhraee

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  1. A. R. Vaezi
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  2. A. R. Karbassi
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  3. M. Fakhraee
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Correspondence to M. Fakhraee.

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Vaezi, A.R., Karbassi, A.R. & Fakhraee, M. Assessing the trace metal pollution in the sediments of Mahshahr Bay, Persian Gulf, via a novel pollution index. Environ Monit Assess 187, 613 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4833-7

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