Historical record of heavy metals in the mollusk shells of the Nile Delta

Ahmed A Abdelhady; Jule Xiao; Jiawei Fan; Shengrui Zhang; Mahmoud M Khalil; Mohamed S Ahmed; Khalaf H M Abdel-Raheem; Ali M Hussain

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117184

Historical record of heavy metals in the mollusk shells of the Nile Delta

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Dec;209(Pt B):117184. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117184. Epub 2024 Oct 31.

Authors

Ahmed A Abdelhady¹, Jule Xiao², Jiawei Fan³, Shengrui Zhang⁴, Mahmoud M Khalil⁵, Mohamed S Ahmed⁶, Khalaf H M Abdel-Raheem⁷, Ali M Hussain⁵

Affiliations

¹ Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519, Egypt. Electronic address: [email protected].
² CAS Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, China; Xinjiang Pamir Intracontinental Subduction National Observation and Research Station, Beijing 100029, China; Urumqi Institute of Central Asia Earthquake, China Earthquake Administration, Urumqi 830011, China.
⁴ College of Geographical Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050024, China.
⁵ Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519, Egypt.
⁶ Geology and Geophysics Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519, Egypt; State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

PMID: 39486206
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117184

Abstract

Identifying the baseline status and the timing of ecosystem disturbances are essential for restoration programs. The historical bioaccumulation of heavy metals was assessed from an 80-cm-long core from the Manzala Lagoon (Nile Delta). The heavy metal concentrations increased slightly upward and peaked around 1964, after the completion of Aswan High Dam. The metal concentrations of shells are 2-3 times less than those of bulk sediment. The topmost sediments are enriched in Cd, Cu, and Pb above USEPA. Sediment type and sediment grain size have a minor effect on the heavy metal concentration in mollusk shells, suggesting a priority over bulk sediments. Although correlated, the shells of the grazer gastropod Melanoides tuberculata have the highest concentration of all metals relative to the suspension-feeder bivalves Cerastoderma glaucum and Saccostrea cuculata. This was attributed to the influences of the eco-physiological traits, which exert a similar influence on the bioaccumulation process of all metals.

Keywords: Aquatic pollution; Heavy metals; Mollusca shells; Nile Delta; Sediment core.

MeSH terms

Animal Shells / chemistry
Animals
Environmental Monitoring*
Geologic Sediments / chemistry
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Mollusca* / metabolism
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Water Pollutants, Chemical