Metals in a northern Nile Delta lake: water, suspended particulates, sediments, and biota

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2018-12, Vol.25 (34), p.33967-33977
• Main Authors: Okbah, Mohamed A., Abdelhalim, Ahmed M., Abu El-Regal, Mohamed A., Soliman, Naglaa F., Nassar, Mohammed E. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic organisms; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biota; Cadmium; Chromium; Contaminants; Copper; Dietary Exposure - analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecological risk assessment; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology - methods; Egypt; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Fish; Fish Products - analysis; Fishing; Food Contamination - analysis; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Heavy metals; Humans; Iron; Lakes; Lakes - analysis; Lakes - chemistry; Manganese; Metals; Metals - analysis; Nickel; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Particulates; Pollutants; Research Article; Risk analysis; Sediments; Suspended particulate matter; Temporal variations; Tilapia; Tilapia - metabolism; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control; Zinc
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3337-8

Lake Edku is one of the important fishing areas in the Nile Delta. It is exposed to different quantities of serious pollutants in particular metals. To overall appraise the risk and status of metals in the lake, a comprehensive study of total concentrations of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in sediments and spatial-temporal variations of these metals in the dissolved and suspended particulates, and some tissues of Tilapias niloticus , was conducted from ten sampling sites during 2016. Results showed that none of the investigated metals exceeded the limits considered as hazardous for aquatic life in water. The highest concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn were observed in suspended particulate matter, which may precipitate on the surface of the sediments. Potential ecological risk analysis of the majority of the investigated metals in the sediment indicated that Lake Edku posed a low ecological risk. The estimated values of all metals in tissues of Tilapia niloticus were below the international permissible limits. Moreover, the potential risk of metals to human via the consumption of Tilapia niloticus was estimated using the weekly intake levels, which was lower than the WHO’s safe provisional tolerant weekly intake levels. These results prove the importance of performing measurements of contaminants in various compartments of Lake Ecosystem including sediment, biota, and suspended particulate matter for proper management.