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Ben-Haddad M, Abelouah MR, Lamine I, Hajji S, Noureddine S, Rangel-Buitrago N, Ait Alla A. Trace metals in urbanized coasts: The central Atlantic of Morocco as a case study. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 186:114455. [PMID: 36473246 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study describes the contamination, accumulation, and ecological risk assessment of five trace metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cr) in sediments of an urbanized beach in the central Atlantic coastline of Morocco. The two-year investigation (2018 and 2019) included six sampling sites along a 6 km coastal reach. In both years, none of the studied trace metals exceeded the background or the sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). The eco-toxicological indices revealed low degree of contamination, unpolluted ecosystem, and low ecological risk of metals. However, Cd exceeded the background value and some SQGs following the increase of anthropogenic activities in 2019. Likewise, it indicated unpolluted to moderately polluted sediment as well as moderate ecological risk. Overall, it is highly recommended to mitigate the avoidable anthropogenic activities (marine litter generation, sewage discharge, intense urbanization, and vehicle traffic on the beach) that lead to the elevation of metal pollution in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ben-Haddad
- Laboratory of Aquatic Systems, Marine and Continental Environments (AQUAMAR), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco.
| | - Mohamed Rida Abelouah
- Laboratory of Aquatic Systems, Marine and Continental Environments (AQUAMAR), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco
| | - Imane Lamine
- Laboratory of Aquatic Systems, Marine and Continental Environments (AQUAMAR), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco
| | - Sara Hajji
- Laboratory of Aquatic Systems, Marine and Continental Environments (AQUAMAR), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco
| | - Slimani Noureddine
- Laboratory of Aquatic Systems, Marine and Continental Environments (AQUAMAR), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco
| | - Nelson Rangel-Buitrago
- Programa de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Basicas, Universidad del Atlantico, Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia; Programa de Biologia, Facultad de Ciencias Basicas, Universidad del Atlantico, Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia
| | - Aicha Ait Alla
- Laboratory of Aquatic Systems, Marine and Continental Environments (AQUAMAR), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco
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Aknaf A, Akodad M, Layachi M, Baghour M, Oudra B, Vasconcelos V. The chemical characterization and its relationship with heavy metals contamination in surface sediment of Marchica Mediterranean Lagoon (North of Morocco). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:4159-4169. [PMID: 34405328 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15641-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The sediments were studied according to the granulometric characteristics, the geochemical analyses of the sediments (organic matter (OM), carbonate, and pH), the analyses of heavy metals (HM) characteristics, and their contamination status in the ecological system and the mineralogical analysis of the sediments at 8 sites spread over the Marchica lagoon (NE-Morocco). Our results showed that the opening of the new wide and deep pass affected the spatial distributions of the metals, which were closely related to fine fraction and sediment OM concentration. In the north and southeast lagoon zones presented low concentrations of the HM, fine particles (clay), OM, whereas the south and the center of the lagoon were heavily loaded with HM and OM, corresponding to the trapping zones by fine particles. The results of mineralogy analyses have revealed the predominance of non-clay minerals such as quartz and calcite, and for the clay fractions of sediments showed that they are formed of illite, kaolinite, smectite, and chlorite in highly variable proportions; illite was the most dominant clay in the north-western Marchica lagoon sediments. Therefore, the HMs are fixed by clay colloids having a high cation exchange capacity with smectite-chlorite-kaolinite assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmae Aknaf
- Laboratory of Biology, Geoscience, Physics and Environment (LBGPE), Multidisciplinary Faculty of Nador, University of Mohammed Premier, BP 300, 62700, Selouane, Nador, Morocco
| | - Mustapha Akodad
- Laboratory of Biology, Geoscience, Physics and Environment (LBGPE), Multidisciplinary Faculty of Nador, University of Mohammed Premier, BP 300, 62700, Selouane, Nador, Morocco
| | - Mostafa Layachi
- Centre Régional de l'INRH-Nador, 13 Boulevard Zerktouni BP, 493, Nador, Maroc, Morocco
| | - Mourad Baghour
- Laboratory of Biology, Geoscience, Physics and Environment (LBGPE), Multidisciplinary Faculty of Nador, University of Mohammed Premier, BP 300, 62700, Selouane, Nador, Morocco
| | - Brahim Oudra
- Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change laboratory. Phycology, Biotechnology and Environmental Toxicology Research Unit, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia Marrakech, Cadi Ayyad University, Av. Prince My Abdellah P.O. Box 2390, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Vitor Vasconcelos
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
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