Susceptibility of El-Alamein coast to contamination and future prediction of erosion using geostatistical analyses | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 68, Volume 26, Issue 5, September and October 2022, Page 1241-1271 PDF (2.64 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2022.268265 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
| Ahmed El-Zeiny et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Investigating heavy metal levels and the associated contamination of water and sediments are crucial issues to ensure the sustainability of the ecosystem in the future, especially in marine zones. This study is aiming to assess water/ sediment quality and contamination indices of El-Alamein coast, in addition to predicting the shoreline in 2030 and the erosion/ accretion rates from 2020 to 2030 using spatial and statistical techniques. To fulfill this aim, 25 water samples and 21 sediment samples were collected from the Mediterranean coast and the connected artificial ponds during the period from November 13th to 14th, 2020. Physico-chemical parameters, nutrients, and four heavy metals were investigated (Cd, Pb, Ni, Fe) since the geostatistical analyses tool (IDW technique) in ArcGIS 10.5 software was used to present water and sediment analyses/ contamination indices in spatial distribution maps. Moreover, the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) tool was used to predict the 2030 shoreline, erosion, and accretion rates. Results indicated that the middle region of the shoreline is the most affected part by contamination, especially Cd, ranging from 0.06 mg/l to 0.17 mg/l and from 1.68 mg/kg to 3.57 mg/kg in water and sediment, respectively. The metals contamination indices in sediment highlighted that the Cd Contamination Factor was very high, the Cd Ecological risk was high to very high, the Cd and Pb Enrichment Factors were extremely high, and the Cd Geo-accumulation index was moderate to heavy. However, the overall indices assessment indicated the following: the risk index revealed a low level of risk, the pollution load index showed no pollution, and the degree of contamination was mostly moderate. There will be a shoreline retreat in 2030 showing elevated accretion (1.793 km2) than erosion (0.361 km2). It’s recommended to monitor the coastal changes and water/ sediment quality regularly to detect any changes that might occur to prevent the probable effect on El-Alamein marine ecosystem. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Water pollution; Sediment pollution; El-Alamein coast; Remote Sensing; Geostatistical analyses | ||||
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