الفهرس | يوجد فقط 14 صفحة متاحة للعرض العام |
المستخلص The Gulf of Suez is a crucial shipping route and a hub for mining and oil drilling operations, which makes its area particularly susceptible to the accumulation of marine plastic waste. This study aimed to evaluate the abundance and composition of microplastics (MPs) along the Gulf of Suez shores, as well as assess the prevalence of heavy metal pollution in the sediments. 268 MP particles were extracted from the sediments, with an average of 204.3 ± 146.6 MPs/kg−1 dry weight. The Kruskal-Wallis test did not show significant variations among stations. The recovered MPs were mostly hard fragments and fibers, with the predominance of polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), suggesting that marine-based sources and associated industrial activities are the main contributors to plastic pollution. Most of the sampled stations had a low Pollution Index (PLI), indicating a low prevalence of MPs. However, the heavy shipping activity in the region suggests that the offshore zone of the Gulf of Suez may have higher levels of plastic pollution. Heavy metals were measured concurrently with MPs, and the results revealed that the sediments have low concentrations of heavy metals overall. However, specifically for lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), moderate to high levels of pollution were observed, and the correlations between microplastics (MPs) and certain heavy metals (e.g., Pb and Zn) in sediment samples, suggested a relationship. However, no significant correlations were observed for other heavy metals. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences in population medians for specific heavy metals, indicating variations across different groups. Further analysis is required to determine significant differences between specific groups. |