Cement and oil refining industries as the predominant sources of trace metal pollution in the Red Sea: A systematic study of element concentrations in the Red Sea zooplankton

Cai, Chunzhi; Devassy, Reny P.; El-Sherbiny, Mohsen M.; Agusti, Susana

Cement and oil refining industries as the predominant sources of trace metal pollution in the Red Sea: A systematic study of element concentrations in the Red Sea zooplankton

2022

Cai, Chunzhi | Devassy, Reny P. | El-Sherbiny, Mohsen M. | Agusti, Susana

The Red Sea is exposed to metals from a large variety of natural and anthropogenic sources. In this study, we analyzed 19 common element concentrations in 14 Red Sea zooplankton samples using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The average metal or metalloid concentrations of the Red Sea zooplankton were: Ca > Sr > Fe > Al > Zn > As > Cu > Mn > Cr > Mo > Ni > Pb > Cd. The As, Ca, and Cu concentrations significantly increased with increasing latitude, while Cd concentrations decreased (p < 0.01). Our study indicated that anthropogenic activities (i.e., cement factories and oil refining industries) might be the predominant sources of significantly high Cr (1718 mg/kg), Fe (11,274 mg/kg), Mn (57.3 mg/kg), Mo (286 mg/kg), Ni (226 mg/kg), Pb (332 mg/kg), and Zn (17,046 mg/kg) concentrations that recorded in the Central to North Red Sea zooplankton.

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