Saleh, Gehag M., Semary, Hatem E., Lasheen, El Saeed R., Kamar, Mohamed S., Elkelish, Amr, Sami, Mabrouk, Sanislav, Ioan, and Abdelaal, Ahmed (2025) Metal contamination and radiological risk assessment in the coastal zone of Wadi Ghadir outlet, Red Sea, Egypt. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 13. 1667069.

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Abstract

This study evaluated concentrations, spatial distribution, and ecological–health risks of nine heavy metals in 25 surface sediment samples from Wadi Ghadir outlet, southeastern Red Sea coast, Egypt. The sediments were sandy (>94%), alkaline (pH 8.12), and contained moderate organic matter (5.6%–8.9%). Metal concentrations (mg/kg) followed: Fe > Ba > Cr > Zn > Ni > V > Pb > Cu > Co. Ba, Cr, and Ni exceeded Canadian soil quality guidelines and global Earth crust backgrounds, while others remained below. Spatially, Ba, Ni, and V peaked in the north, Co, Cr, and Zn in central sites, and Pb, Cu, and Fe in the south. Multivariate analyses indicated both natural and anthropogenic sources. Enrichment and contamination factors showed moderate enrichment for Pb and Ni, and considerable contamination for Ni. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo >5) and pollution load index (PLI; 1.62) confirmed significant contamination. Ecological risk indices (PERI <150, Eri <40) suggested overall low risk, with Ni and Pb most concerned. Additional sediment quality indices (MERMQ, TRI, mHQ) pointed to medium–moderate ecological and toxic risks, while human health evaluation revealed low non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks. Radiological analyses of 232Th, 40K, and 226Ra revealed concentrations (Bq/Kg) and dose indices within global safety limits, indicating negligible radiological risk.

Item ID:	89408
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2296-665X
Copyright Information:	© 2025 Saleh, Semary, Lasheen, Kamar, Elkelish, Sami, Sanislav and Abdelaal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Date Deposited:	06 Nov 2025 00:23
FoR Codes:	37 EARTH SCIENCES > 3703 Geochemistry > 370302 Inorganic geochemistry @ 50% 37 EARTH SCIENCES > 3709 Physical geography and environmental geoscience > 370999 Physical geography and environmental geoscience not elsewhere classified @ 20% 37 EARTH SCIENCES > 3703 Geochemistry > 370399 Geochemistry not elsewhere classified @ 30%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280107 Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences @ 100%
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