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Metal bioavailability, toxicity, and ecological risk due to sediments of a lately rehabilitated lake (Mariut, Egypt)

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Abstract

Sediments from Lake Mariut, Egypt, after its rehabilitation, and its anoxic diverted polluted drains were subjected to five sequential steps to define different geochemical fractions of eight studied metals. Results cleared out that 30–50% of its total Cd and total Co contents are easily bioavailable with a high-risk assessment code (RAC) to enter the food chain in the lake basin. Whereas Cu and Fe are safe and the remaining studied metals, i.e., Mn, Zn, Pb, and Cr are of medium risk for the environment. Individual contamination factor (ICF) is high (> 6) for all the studied metals except for Fe and Cu which are tightly held in sediments confirming their safeness to biota. Cadmium accounted for > 94% of the total risk in the study area. Metal pollution loading (MPL) from the sediments was found in the order: Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Co > Cd.

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Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

∑TU:

Sum of all toxicity units

EWWTP:

East wastewater treatment plant

GCF:

Global contamination factor

ICF:

Individual contamination factor

LM:

Lake Mariut

LMMB:

Lake Mariut Main Basin

MPL:

Metal pollution loading

MRI:

Modified Risk Index

OC:

Organic carbon

PEC:

Probable effect concentration

QD:

Qalaa drain

RAC:

Risk Assessment Code

RI:

Potential ecological risk

TEC:

Threshold effect concentration

TRI:

Toxic Risk Index

TU:

Toxic unit

UD:

Umum Drain

UDds:

Downstream of Umum Drain

WWWTP:

West wastewater treatment plant

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oceanography Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Nashwa A. Shaaban, Osman A. El-Rayis & Amira M. Hamdan

  2. National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt

    Mohamed A. Shreadah

Authors
  1. Nashwa A. Shaaban
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  2. Mohamed A. Shreadah
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  3. Osman A. El-Rayis
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  4. Amira M. Hamdan
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Correspondence to Nashwa A. Shaaban.

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Highlights

• Geochemical forms of metals in sediments of Lake Mariut (Egypt) were measured.

• Toxicity, mobility, and source of metals were evaluated using multiple approaches.

• Cadmium was easily bioavailable and accounted for > 94% of total risk in the study area.

• MPL in sediment was found in the order: Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Co > Cd.

• Most of all studied metals were in the non-detrital part, and Fe was mainly residual.

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Shaaban, N.A., Shreadah, M.A., El-Rayis, O.A. et al. Metal bioavailability, toxicity, and ecological risk due to sediments of a lately rehabilitated lake (Mariut, Egypt). Environ Monit Assess 193, 450 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09226-4

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