Effects of sewage and industrial wastes on the chemical characteristics of the eastern harbour and El-Mex bay waters of Alexandria, Egypt

Sea water samples were collected from the eastern harbour and El-Mex bay during the period from November 1987 to January 1989. The concentrations of dissolved oxygen, hydrogen sulphide, inorganic phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chlorophyll-a and oxidizable matter are scattered in the ranges (0...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Science of the total environment 1992-01, Vol.Supplement, p.773-784
Main Authors: Emara, H I, Shriadah, M A, Moustafa, T H, El-Deek, M S
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Sea water samples were collected from the eastern harbour and El-Mex bay during the period from November 1987 to January 1989. The concentrations of dissolved oxygen, hydrogen sulphide, inorganic phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chlorophyll-a and oxidizable matter are scattered in the ranges (0.00-5.11 ml per litre), (0.00-2.94 mg per litre), (0.35-17.6 ug at per litre) (0.00-103.5 ug at per litre), (0.00-21.6 ug per litre), (0.10-88.0 ug at per litre), (0.00-5.56 mg per m3) and (0.10-13.8 mg oxygen per litre), respectively. In general, El-Mex bay exhibited higher concentrations of nutrients and oxidizable organic matter, which reveal higher eutrophication levels than the eastern harbour. Chlorophyll values were low and similar for the surface water of both areas, while the bottom water of El-Mex bay reflected slightly higher levels. Hydrogen sulphide concentrations showed wide variations, reflecting higher values for the eastern harbour (1.33 mg per litre) compared with El-Mex bay (0.98 mg per litre). Hydrogen sulphide/ammonia concentrations showed an impressive relationship, with estimated ratios of hydrogen sulphide/ammonia of 1.7 and 1.03 for the surface water of the eastern harbour and El-Mex bay, respectively. The nitrogen:phosphorus ratio reflects higher values for the surface and bottom waters of El-Mex bay (10.2, 13.2) in comparison with the eastern harbour (7.07, 7.4), and the majority of the investigated areas seems to be phosphorus-limited. The estimated amount of oxygen present after complete oxidation of organic matter ranged from 50 to 55 per cent throughout 1988, which is about 14 per cent lower than the values recorded during the last 10 years in El-Mex bay.
ISSN:0048-9697