ABSENCE OF PREFERENTIAL FLOW IN THE PERCOLATING WATERS OF A CONIFEROUS FOREST SOIL

Evidence for the functioning of macropores and the presence of preferential flow in forest soils is equivocal. This is partly because many workers use only one diagnostic technique to indicate whether or not macropore flow occurs. In this paper three lines of evidence are used to suggest that preferential flow does not occur in the percolating waters of a coniferous forest soil under the range of hydrological conditions that prevail in the field. To simulate field conditions, realistic rainfall intensities were used in conservative solute transport experiments on four undisturbed soil columns. A method is described in which breakthrough data can be used to calculate the percentage of antecedent water displaced from a soil column during frontal-type breakthrough experiments. Calculations based on this method using the experimental data show that as little as five percent of the antecedent water was immobile. The simple form of the functional advection–dispersion equation, based on a single value for linear velocity and the dispersion coefficient was fitted to two of the breakthrough curves with reasonable accuracy, further suggesting that preferential flow did not occur in the experiments. Finally, soil moisture characteristic curves were determined for replicate soil samples from the forest soil. The operational water contents of the columns during the breakthrough experiments were compared with the soil moisture characteristics and it was found that pores exerting pressure heads greater than −0·5 kPa did not appear to contribute to flow through the columns, again suggesting an absence of preferential flow. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

FLOW SEPARATION IN UNDISTURBED SOILS USING MULTIPLE ANIONIC TRACERS. PART 1. ANALYTICAL METHODS AND UNSTEADY RAINFALL AND RETURN FLOW EXPERIMENTS

Tracers provide one of the few ways of obtaining realistic information on the flows of water and solutes in undisturbed structured soils. Three fluorinated organic acids [pentafluorobenzoic acid, 2,6-diflurobenzoic acid and o-(trifluoromethyl) benzoic acid] and bromide were tested as anionic tracers in situations where the separation of different flow components is of interest. The fluorobenzoates were relatively conservative (approximately 90% for loam soil) although, in some instances, co-elution or complexation may lead to apparently non-conservative behaviour. Tracer mixtures applied to soils, were separated and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The relative mobilities of the tracers were studied during unidirectional steady flow in large undisturbed soil columns brought back to the laboratory. The breakthrough curves showed highly dispersive behaviour, with very early breakthrough of solute and a long tail. Contributions to the column outflow of different simultaneous applications of rainfall and return flow, labelled with different tracers, were separated using multicomponent mixing equations. The results show the importance of preferential flow and relatively immobile storage in the transport process.     

Assessment of metal contamination in surface sediments from Zhelin Bay,the South China Sea

Metals and biogenic elements were analyzed from surface sediments collected from Zhelin Bay in the South China Sea in December 2008. The high concentrations of TOC, TN and BSi indicate the high nutrient level and diatom productivity in Zhelin Bay. The concentrations of metals were generally far lower than the effects-range-low (ERL) values that define pollutant levels. Enrichment factors (EF) and geoaccumulation indices (I_geo) suggest there are pollution levels of Cd, Cu and Zn at some stations. As, Cu, and Pb are potentially biotoxic in some stations. Correlation and principal component analyses indicate that most of the metals primarily originate from natural sources, and from maricultural activities as well. Mariculture contributes considerable Cd and Cu contamination. As and Pb comes primarily from combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel by ships.     

Tracer and hydrometric study of preferential flow in large undisturbed soil cores from the Georgia Piedmont,USA

We studied the temporal patterns of tracer throughput in the outflow of large (30 cm diameter by 38 cm long) undisturbed cores from the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia. Tracer breakthrough was affected by soil structure and rainfall intensity. Two rainfall intensities (20 and 40 mm hr⁻¹) for separate Cl⁻ and Br⁻ amended solutions were applied to two cores (one extracted from a hillslope soil and one extracted from a residual clay soil on the ridge). For both low and high rainfall intensity experiments, preferential flow occurred in the clay core, but not in the hillslope core. The preferential flow is attributed to well‐developed interpedal macrochannels that are commonly found in structured clay soils, characteristic of the ridge site. However, each rainfall intensity exceeded the matrix infiltration capacity at the top of the hillslope core, but did not exceed the matrix infiltration capacity at the middle and bottom of the hillslope core and at all levels in the clay core. Localized zones of saturation created when rainfall intensity exceeds the matrix infiltration capacity may cause water and tracer to overflow from the matrix into macrochannels, where preferential flow occurs to depth in otherwise unsaturated soil. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of arsenic and heavy metal pollution and ecological risk in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary,China

In order to investigate the pollution levels, sources and ecological risks of arsenic (As) and heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary, the surface sediment in areas of inshore coastal waters were sampled in October 2014 as the flow-sediment regulation project (FSRP) was implemented for 13 years. Results showed that the concentrations of As and heavy metals in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary were in the order of Zn?>?Cr?>?Cu?>?Ni?>?Pb?>?As?>?Cd. Higher levels of As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb generally occurred in fine-grained sediments of the Yellow River estuary and the southeast region, which was consistent with the spatial distribution of clay. In contrast, higher concentrations of Cd were generally observed in northwest area of the Yellow River estuary and near the Qingshuigou estuary, which showed similarly spatial distribution with that of sand. The sediment quality guidelines (SQG_S) and geoaccumulation indices (I_geo) indicated that the inshore sediments were polluted by Cu, Cd, As, Pb and Zn, and, among them, Cd pollution was more serious. Ecological risk indices (E _r ⁱ ) demonstrated low risks for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and As, and high potential toxicity by Cd. The integrated ecological risk index implied that 6.8% of stations presented moderate risk, 4.5% of stations exhibited disastrous risk, and 88.7% of stations demonstrated considerable risk. Principal component analysis indicated that Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and As might originate from common pollution sources, while Cr and Cd might share another similar sources. With the continuous implementation of FSRP, As and heavy metal levels in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary could be classified as stage I (2002–2010) and stage II (2010–2014). In the stage I, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb levels fluctuated but decreased significantly, whereas Cd concentrations showed little variation. In the stage II, As and heavy metal levels significantly increased although some little fluctuations occurred. The continuous accumulation of As and heavy metals (especially for Cd) in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary would occur again as the FSRP was implemented for 9 years (since 2010). The ecotoxicological risk of Cd, As, Ni and Cu in inshore sediments might be more serious since the accumulation of the four elements would be continuously occurred in future years. Next step, there will be long-term potential consequences for marine organism if effective measures are not taken to control the loadings of metal pollutants into estuary.     

Anthropogenic influences on heavy metals across marine habitats in the western coast of Venezuela

Concentrations of ten metals were measured in waters and sediments at 14 sites during four sampling periods (1996–1997). These sites include various marine ecosystems that are highly influenced by industry, tourism and river discharges, nine of which are within the Morrocoy National Park. Spatially, metal concentrations in water were homogenous, whereas in sediments their distributions were related to grain size. Maximum concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and mean concentrations of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in water were above the guideline values proposed by NOAA, indicating the potential of these metals for producing chronic effects in marine biota. Sheltered sites showed the highest metal concentrations in sediments; with Cd and Zn above these guidelines. Enrichment factors and geo-accumulation indexes suggested that metals in sediments were largely of natural origin except for Pb, Cd and vanadium (V), which were apparently associated with industrial effluents. A disruption of the spatial distribution of metals after heavy rainfall, when exposed sites reached concentrations as high as those in sheltered sites, showed the influence of nearby rivers. The potential increase of such climatic events could represent additional stress for natural protected areas in the Caribbean.     

Comparing dispersivities and soil chloride concentrations of turfgrass-covered undisturbed and disturbed soil columns

Research relating to soil leaching properties under turfgrass conditions has often been conducted on disturbed soils where macropore structure has been destroyed. The objective of this study was to compare the solute movement characteristics of undisturbed and disturbed soil columns covered with turfgrass. Dispersivities and chloride (Cl) breakthrough curves of undisturbed and disturbed soils were investigated. Soil columns were excavated into three sections after testing, for which the mean bulk density was 1.33 Mg M⁻³ for the undisturbed columns and 1.16 Mg m⁻³ for the disturbed columns. The dispersivity for the undisturbed columns was over three times greater than for the disturbed columns. Chloride concentration found in Layer 1 (0–6.7 cm), Layer 2 (6.7–13.4 cm), and Layer 3 (13.4–20.0 cm) were 2.8, 5.3, and 4.8 times higher, respectively, for the disturbed soils than for the undisturbed. Applying conclusions from solute movement studies using repacked columns covered with turfgrass to actual undisturbed field conditions could lead to errors in interpretation because of the effect of macropores.     

The quality of water and sediments of street runoff in Amman,Jordan

Metallic content (Cr, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cd) of street sediments and street runoff in addition to major inorganic constituents (Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO₃, Cl, NO₃ and SO₄) of street runoff were determined under semi‐arid conditions. Two sites in the vicinity of Amman during the pluvial year 1998–1999 were chosen for this investigation. A higher quantity of ionic contents was found at site 2 in comparison to site 1 except for iron, which was significantly higher at site 1. This finding was attributed to higher anthropogenic activity and lower rainfall at site 2, which indicates better water quality of street runoff from residential sites than the city centre. The average concentrations of Pb, Cu and Cd in Amman street runoff compared with the highest levels recorded at humid sites of the world as a result the prevailing semi‐arid conditions in the areas investigated. The highest concentrations of all constituents were detected during the first month of sampling, which might be the result of low rainfall, and a long dry period of atmospheric deposition preceding rainfall events. However, high levels of both lead and copper were recorded (below that of iron) which might be attributed to traffic pollution. In contrast, a significant variation between the average concentrations for Cu, Ni and Cr was found in sediments from the two sites. Moreover, a significant difference was detected only for Cu and Mn at each site overtime. The overall pattern of the results suggests that all heavy metal concentrations for street runoff showed a significant variation over time at site 1 whereas only a significant variation was found for Ni at site 2, which can be explained as the result of higher rainfall at site 1 than at site 2. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing the ‘two water worlds’ hypothesis under variable preferential flow conditions

Widespread observations of ecohydrological separation are interpreted by suggesting that water flowing through highly conductive soil pores resists mixing with matrix storage over periods of days to months (i.e., two ‘water worlds’ exist). These interpretations imply that heterogeneous flow can produce ecohydrological separation in soils, yet little mechanistic evidence exists to explain this phenomenon. We quantified the separation between mobile water moving through preferential flow paths versus less mobile water remaining in the soil matrix after free-drainage to identify the amount of preferential flow necessary to maintain a two water world's scenario. Soil columns of varying macropore structure were subjected to simulated rainfall of increasing rainfall intensity (26 mm h⁻¹, 60 mm h⁻¹, and 110 mm h⁻¹) whose stable isotope signatures oscillated around known baseline values. Prior to rainfall, soil matrix water δ²H nearly matched the known value used to initially wet the pore space whereas soil δ¹⁸O deviated from this value by up to 3.4‰, suggesting that soils may strongly fractionate ¹⁸O. All treatments had up to 100% mixing between rain and matrix water under the lowest (26 mm h⁻¹) and medium (60 mm h⁻¹) rainfall intensities. The highest rainfall intensity (110 mm h⁻¹), however, reduced mixing of rain and matrix water for all treatments and produced significantly different preferential flow estimates between columns with intact soil structure compared to columns with reduced soil structure. Further, artificially limiting exchange between preferential flow paths and matrix water reduced bypass flow under the most intense rainfall. We show that (1) precipitation offset metrics such as lc-excess and d-excess may yield questionable interpretations when used to identify ecohydrological separation, (2) distinct domain separation may require extreme rainfall intensities and (3) domain exchange is an important component of macropore flow.     

Dissolved and particulate trace metal fluxes through the central English Channel, and the influence of coastal gyres

Measurements of dissolved Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn have been made on a seasonal basis at five stations on a north–south transect across the central English Channel between Cherbourg and the Isle of Wight. Vertical and horizontal distributions of dissolved Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn are relatively uniform except for sampling sites near the English coast. Dissolved Mn and Co show increased concentrations in the English coastal waters, and for Mn the seasonal trend in concentration follows the pattern seen in the Strait of Dover with higher values in the late summer. Ni and Cu are higher in concentration on the English side, which reflects mainly riverine sources. Measurements were also made of particulate forms of the metals above plus particulate Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Sr and Ti. Water column concentrations of particulate metals broadly follow the distribution of suspended particulate matter, with highest concentrations near the UK coast. Trace metal concentrations have been integrated with modelled data on fluxes of water to provide estimates of fluxes for these elements into the eastern Channel, and an initial comparison is made with data for fluxes of metals through the Strait of Dover obtained during an earlier study. A major influence on the fluxes of particulate metals through the Isle of Wight-Cherbourg transect is the gyre system to the South east to the Isle of Wight, which has important east to west as well as west to east transport components. For those elements where the dissolved form of the metal dominates, the large flow of water in the central Channel waters leads to major fluxes of the metals towards the east and the Strait of Dover. However, the high suspended particulate matter loadings in the coastal waters and impact of the gyre system lead to net east to west fluxes of particulate Al, Fe, Mn and Ti. Comparison of these fluxes with data on the net west to east transport of these materials through the Strait of Dover infers that there must be a significant supply of these particulate metals to the eastern Channel.     

Self-organizing map for the detection of seasonal variations in Sidi Chahed Dam sediments (Northern Morocco)

ABSTRACT

A database of 88 superficial sediment samples, distributed in space and time, was collected from the Sidi Chahed Dam (northeast of Meknes city, Morocco) and from four other reference stations (in the same region) located in supposedly uncontaminated environments. Analyses were focused on the physico-chemical characteristics and concentrations of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, As, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd). The database was processed by advanced statistical analysis techniques. The method of classification by self-organizing maps (SOM) was used, permitting understanding and visualization of the spatial and temporal distribution of samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and SOM hierarchical classification (SOM-HC) were used to validate the classification and detect seasonal variations in heavy metal concentrations. Dependencies between different metal tracers were considered and their spatio-temporal distribution is shown, together with the ranking of clusters, according to their pollution levels. Thus, autumn samples were the only ones with high concentrations of As, compared to the four reference stations. This is due to leaching of bare soil by the first stormy rains of autumn. In winter and spring samples, the concentrations of tracers Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr were relatively high compared to those of the reference stations. Summer sample concentrations were most comparable with the reference stations, probably due to the scarcity of rainfall and runoff in this season.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz Associate editor E. Gargouri     

The distributions of particulate heavy metals and its indication to the transfer of sediments in the Changjiang Estuary and Hangzhou Bay,China

Particulate heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cd) were measured following intensive sampling in June and October 1994 at 70 stations in the Changjiang Estuary and Hangzhou Bay, China. In the study area, particulate Cu and Pb have a similar level that is higher than the concentration of particulate Cd. Cu, Pb and Cd concentrations in suspended sediments are higher than those in bed load. In the middle of Hangzhou Bay, heavy metal concentrations in suspended sediments and bed load are similar. This may be the result of the frequent exchange between them, which is due to the strong dynamic condition. A negative relationship was observed between concentrations of heavy metals in bed load and bulk density. Fine-grained sediments were the main carriers of heavy metals. Sedimentary dynamics dominate the fate of heavy metals in these sites. The distributions of metals (especially Cu) in suspended sediments can indicate the transfer of sediments in this area.     

Magnetic properties and heavy metal pollution of soils in the vicinity of a cement plant,Xuzhou (China)

This study characterized the magnetic property and levels of heavy metals of the topsoils near a cement plant. The concentrations of five selected heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd) were measured on 32 topsoil samples (0–20 cm) collected near a cement plant via inductively coupled plasma/mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The orders of enrichment factors (EF), on average, were Cd (7.3) > Cu (3) > Zn (2.9) > Pb (2.1), respectively. A self-organizing map (SOM) was applied to the concentrations of heavy metals for “correlation hunting”. Mineral magnetic concentration parameters, such as the specific magnetic susceptibility (χ), susceptibility of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (χ_ARM), saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM), together with interparametric ratios (such as IRM_− 100mT/SIRM, SIRM/χ, χ_ARM/SIRM) show that ferrimagnetic, superparamagnetic (SP) and multi-domain (MD) minerals dominated the soils. The results of correlation analysis indicate that copper showed a significant correlation with χ, χ_ARM and SIRM but such a relationship with χ, χ_ARM and SIRM was only weakly identified for Zn, Cd and Pb.     

Biosorption of heavy metals in polluted water,using different waste fruit cortex

The biosorption capacity of different cortex fruit wastes including banana (Musa paradisiaca), lemon (Citrus limonum) and orange (Citrus sinensis) peel were evaluated. In order to perform these experiments, grinded dried cortexes were used as package in 100 mm high, 10 mm i.d. columns. The grinded material was powdered in a mortar and passed through a screen in order to get two different particle sizes, 2 and 1 mm, for all powders. To estimate the biosorption capabilities of the tested materials, different heavy metals were passed through the columns and the elution filtrate reloaded different times to increase the retention of metals. The heavy metals used were prepared as synthetic samples at 10 mg/L of Pb(NO₃)₂, Cd(NO₃)₂, and Cu(NO₃)₂·6H₂O using primary standards. In preliminary experiments using banana cortex, it was found that material with 1 mm of particle size showed higher retention capability (up to12%) than the material with 2 mm of particle size. Considering these results, 1 mm particle size material was used in further experiments with the other waste materials. It was found that for Pb and Cu removal, lemon and orange cortex showed better biosorption capability when compared with banana cortex (up to 15% less for Pb and 48% less for Cu). For Cd, banana cortex showed better biosorption capability 57% (67.2 mg/g of cortex) more than orange (28.8 mg/g of cortex), and 82% more than lemon (12 mg/g of cortex). Reload of the columns with the filtrate after passing through the column improved the removal capability of all the materials tested from 10% to 50% depending on the cortex and metal tested.     

Phytoremediation of heavy metal‐contaminated water and sediment by Eleocharis acicularis

Phytoremediation is an environmental remediation technique that takes advantage of plant physiology and metabolism. The unique property of heavy metal hyperaccumulation by the macrophyte Eleocharis acicularis is of great significance in the phytoremediation of water and sediments contaminated by heavy metals at mine sites. In this study, a field cultivation experiment was performed to examine the applicability of E. acicularis to the remediation of water contaminated by heavy metals. The highest concentrations of heavy metals in the shoots of E. acicularis were 20 200 mg Cu/kg, 14 200 mg Zn/kg, 1740 mg As/kg, 894 mg Pb/kg, and 239 mg Cd/kg. The concentrations of Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in the shoots correlate with their concentrations in the soil in a log‐linear fashion. The bioconcentration factor for these elements decreases log‐linearly with increasing concentration in the soil. The results indicate the ability of E. acicularis to hyperaccumulate Cu, Zn, As, and Cd under natural conditions, making it a good candidate species for the phytoremediation of water contaminated by heavy metals.     

Solute transport and water content measurements in clay soils using time domain reflectometry

Abstract

Clayey and saline soils have been shown to be problematic for time domain reflectometry (TDR) measurements. This study presents some of these problems and discusses solutions to them. Thirteen solute transport experiments were carried out in three undisturbed soil columns of swelling clay soil from Tunisia, labelled S1, S2, and S3 respectively. The columns were collected at three different physiographical regions within a catchment. Water fluxes ranged from 1.2 to 7.2 cm day^?1. The large solute transport heterogeneity and large tailing indicated that preferential flow was most pronounced in S1. The preferential flow took place in voids between structural elements and in wormholes. In S3, preferential flow was also evident, but not to the same extent as in S1. In S2, the solute transport was more uniform with little preferential flow. The heterogeneity of the solute transport increased with the water flux in S1 and to a smaller extent in S3, whereas it remained constant in S2. In a previous dye experiment in the field, preferential flow in cracks was observed at those sites where S1 and S3 were collected. In the column experiments, preferential flow in these cracks was less due to the higher initial water content compared to the dye experiments, indicating that the desiccation cracks were closed by the swelling clay.     

Assessment of heavy metal contamination of roadside soils in Southwest China

Topsoil (0–20 cm) samples were collected from the edge of roads to the locations about 200 m off the roads along the four roads with different transportation periods in October 2005. Total concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined using the inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrometry in order to assess and compare road transportation pollution. Results showed that with the exception of As, Cu and Pb, the average concentrations of heavy metals were generally, higher than the regional elemental background values. Most soil samples were moderately or highly polluted by Cd or Ni, but the contamination index (P _i ) values for As, Pb and Zn were lower than other heavy metals in all sites. Among the four roads, heavy metal pollution was heavier for Dali Road due to longer transportation periods, while low or no contamination could be observed for the other roads. However, the integrated contamination index (P _c ) values showed a generally low contamination or no contamination level for all soil samples in this region, followed by the order of Dali Road > Dabao Highway > Road 320 > Sixiao Highway. The same pollution source of these heavy metals was found using factor analysis.     

Scavenging of heavy metals from particulates by brown seaweed

Concentrations of Cu, As, Pb, Zn and Ag (but not Cd, Co, Fe, Mn and Hg) in the tissues of benthic algae (Fucus vesiculosus) correlate significantly with concentrations in sediment. Metals which complex most strongly with algal tissues show the strongest correlations of algal tissue and sediment. Scavenging these metals from particulates may be an important source of uptake by the algae. If so, concentrations of Cu, As, Pb, Zn and Ag in algal tissues may not be good indicators of concentrations of these metals in solution.     

Evaluation of sediment contamination in the Red Sea coastal area combining multiple pollution indices and multivariate statistical techniques

In the recent years,the Red Sea coast of Yemen has been severely affected by intensive anthropogenic activities.The current study constitutes a thorough inquiry to evaluate the extent of heavy metals pollution in Yemen's Red Sea coast sediment and identifies the possible sources of pollution.The concentrations of five metals(copper(Cu),zinc(Zn),cadmium(Cd),lead(Pb),and nickel(Ni))collected from nine sites along the Red Sea coast of Yemen were assessed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer(ASS).Sediment quality indices,such as the sediment quality guidelines(SQGs),potential ecological risk(RI),contamination factor(CF),pollution load index(PLI),geoaccumulation index(Igeo),and modified degree of contamination(mCd)were computed.In addition,multivariate statistical techniques(principal component analysis(PCA),hierarchical cluster analysis,and Pearson's correlation analysis)were applied to identify the potential sources of metals.The mean concentrations of Cu,Zn,Cd,Pb,and Ni were 51.3,61.9,4.02,9.9,and 33.4 mg/kg dry wt,respectively.The spatial distribution revealed that the metals concentrations were high at the middle zone and low southward of Hodeida city.According to the SQGs,the adverse biological effects of metals were occasionally associated with Cu and Cd,frequently associated with Ni,and not expected to occur with Zn and Pb.The RI indicated that the sediment of the studied sites pose low(RI<50)to considerable(100≤RI<200)ecological risk.The mean effect range-median quotient(M-ERM-Q)indicated that the combination of the studied metals had the toxicity probability of 21%at all studied sites.Igeo and CF indicated that the metals concentrations were in the descending order of:Zn>Ni>Pb>Cd>Cu,whereas the PLI and mCd indicated that Ras Isa(Site 5)and Urj village(Site 6)were the most polluted sites.PCA,cluster analysis,and correlation analysis found that Cd,Pb,and Ni mostly originated from anthropogenic sources while Cu and Zn were mainly derived from natural sources.Thus,it is evident that the intensive anthropogenic activities had negative influence on metals accumulation in the sediment of the Red Sea coast of Yemen leading to detrimental effects to the whole ecosystem.These comprehensive findings provide valuable information and data for future monitoring studies regarding heavy metals pollution and sediment quality at the Red Sea coast of Yemen.