**Heavy Metals Contamination of a Mediterranean Coastal Ecosystem, Eastern Nile Delta, Egypt**

 M. F. Kaiser1, H. A. Aboulela2, H. A. El-Serehy3 and H. Ezz El-Din3 *1Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University 2Marine Science Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University 3Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 1,2Egypt* 

*3Saudi Arabia* 

### **1. Introduction**

Coastal Zone is "The scope of marine environment which covers territorial water, and the scope of land extending in wards that can affect or be affected by the marine environment. Half of Egypt's population lives in Egypt coastal zones, where sources of food, jobs and income are available. They depend mainly on traditional fishing and to a lesser degree on automation.

Coastal areas are characterized by high organic matter and nutrients from the continent, having fragile coastal ecosystem dependent on terrestrial conditions (Yáñez-Aracibia and Sánchez-Gil, 1988). Industrialization of coastal areas is very common in countries characterized by exploitation and importation economics, causing serious damage to coastal ecosystems, e.g. contamination of metals (Cardoso et al., 2001). Moreover, anthropogenic activities are known to have a wide range of potential effects of these coastal ecosystems, particularly from point and non-point sources of pollution.

The release of pollutants into coastal environment is a major human concern worldwide. These contaminants are known to readily accumulate in bottom sediments which serve as a repository of pollutants. Sediment contaminants could be released to the overlying water, resulting in potential adverse health effects to aquatic organisms (Daskalakis and O'Connor, 1995; Long et al., 1995; Argese et al., 1997; Ross and Delorenzo, 1997; Freret-Meurer et al., 2010). Among the adverse health effects associated with these contaminants are toxicity to the kidney, nervous and reproductive systems, as well as endocrine disruption and mutations (Collier et al., 1998; Nirmala et al., 1999; Ketata et al., 2007; Liu et al., 2008; Brar et al., 2009).

In addition, trace metals are known to bioaccumulate in edible aquatic organisms (e.g., mollusks), thus, representing a health risk to top predators, including humans (Fox et al., 1991; Renzoni et al., 1998; Huang et al., 2006; Díez et al., 2009).

The Egyptian coastline extends 3000 km along the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea beaches in addition to the Suez and Aqaba gulfs. Natural conditions on Egyptian Mediterranean coasts differ significantly from those on the Red Sea coasts in terms of salinity, sea currents and temperature. Such difference has led to different biodiversity and ecosystems in each.

The Nile Delta coastal zone located along southeastern coastal area of Mediterranean Sea at unstable shelf of the northern section of Egypt (Fig.1). It is boarded by the north western

Heavy Metals Contamination of a Mediterranean Coastal Ecosystem, Eastern Nile Delta, Egypt 299

Domestic waste waters released into the eatern Nile Delta ecosystem contain fairly high concentrations of metals as Al, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn (Stephenson, 1987). These produced from household products such as cleaning materials, toothpaste, cosmetic and human faces. In addition, pollutants resulting from industrial, sewage, agricultural discharges, many types of industrial wastes and urban runoff caused many problems for the human bodies. Furthermore, most of the present freshwater discharged into the coastal zones of Mediterranean Sea is of drainage water, which has been used for irrigation, often contaminated with sewage or industrial waste, which reached to the sea via the Delta lakes (Dowidar, 1988). The present study aims at to assess environmental status, develop and establish database required to monitor the main

The study area constitutes a small part of the low lands laying west of Port Said City vise El Gamil zone, extending west wards parallel to the Deltaic Coast-Mediterranean Sea. It is boarded by the Suez Canal from the east and by Lake Manzala from the south. It is situated at nearly about 13 kilometers west of Port-Said City and extending between Latitude 31°:10' - 31°:20' N and Longitude 32°:00' - 32°:20' E with about 24 km2 coverage area. Five sites along the El- Gamil beach, including El Gamil airport (Site 1), El Gamil inlet (site 2), El Fardous (Site 3), El Manasra (Site 4) and El Debba (Site 5) were chosen for this study (Fig.1). General features of anthropogenic activities at the study area with emphasis on descriptive features of sampling sites are listed in table (1). Heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb) levels were measured in bottom sediment, surface water and bivalve samples

environmental problem along the Nile Delta ecosystem.

collected from each site during December 2005 and August 2006.

Table 1. Locations and descriptive features of sampling sites.

**2. Materials and methods** 

**2.1 Sampling sites and measurements** 

part of Suez Canal from the east and northern side of Manzala Lake from the south. It is considered as the most important vital area along the Mediterranean Sea. Many of the Egyptian coastal zones are subjected to variable significant environmental hazards including, loss of ecosystem quality, coastal erosion, seismic risk and over-exploitation. Moreover, it comprises a lot of land-use changes and modifications to development of future mitigation strategies. High profile example is the region of the eastern Nile Delta coastal ecosystem. It is one of the most beautiful recreation centers along coastal area of the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, it has several natural gas companies, recreational areas and fishing activities. A number of factors acting together on this zone has contributed to environmental and coastline changes. Natural processes and anthropogenic activities have to be considered as the most effective factors at the area of study. The pollution problems in the study sites are chiefly due to high quantity of domestic sewage and the virtually total absence of control on toxic components. Mistakes in their management can have catastrophic consequences for ecosystem integrity and human development.

Contamination by trace metals has not been extensively studied in the Egyptian coastal zones along the Mediterranean Sea which are subjected to intense discharges of pollutants. Therefore, it is important that sediment and water contamination by these pollutants be assessed for better management and protection of these valuable costal ecosystems at El-Gamil beach along the western coast of Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea. Especially, this study area represents a pronounced area for fishing, industrial development, urban extensions and more tourism activities along eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Fig. 1. Satellite image shows the location of the study area and the sampling sites

Domestic waste waters released into the eatern Nile Delta ecosystem contain fairly high concentrations of metals as Al, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn (Stephenson, 1987). These produced from household products such as cleaning materials, toothpaste, cosmetic and human faces. In addition, pollutants resulting from industrial, sewage, agricultural discharges, many types of industrial wastes and urban runoff caused many problems for the human bodies. Furthermore, most of the present freshwater discharged into the coastal zones of Mediterranean Sea is of drainage water, which has been used for irrigation, often contaminated with sewage or industrial waste, which reached to the sea via the Delta lakes (Dowidar, 1988). The present study aims at to assess environmental status, develop and establish database required to monitor the main environmental problem along the Nile Delta ecosystem.
