article · Marine Pollution Bulletin
An environmental assessment evaluated heavy metal contamination and associated human health risks along the Hurghada shoreline in Egypt, an area popular for tourism and fishing. Thirty surface sediment samples were analysed to measure concentrations of iron, manganese, lead, zinc, nickel, copper, cobalt, and cadmium. Standard pollution indices showed that the coastal sediments were moderately polluted with lead, but not with the other examined metals. Exposure assessments examined ingestion, dermal, and inhalation pathways for both adults and children. Chronic daily intake was highest via ingestion, with children recording higher intake values than adults across all pathways. Non-carcinogenic hazard index values for all metals fell below 1.0, and lifetime cancer risk estimates confirmed that the heavy metal concentrations present no substantial health concerns for adults or children.
Coastal shorelines hosting active tourism and fishing require regular environmental safety assessments to protect public welfare. Determining sediment toxicity verifies whether recreational visitors and local communities encounter harmful chemical exposures. Demonstrating that current heavy metal levels pose no significant health hazards reassures coastal users, whilst identifying moderate lead pollution flags a specific contaminant for continued environmental monitoring.
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Throughout the year, people flock to the Red Sea's shoreline for tourism and fishing. The current study aims to document heavy metal contamination and human health assessment in 30 surface sediment samples collected along the Hurghada shoreline in Egypt. To estimate sediment contamination , the pollution index (PI), pollution load index (PLI), degree of contamination (Cdeg), and Nemerow integrated pollution index (NIPI) were calculated, while the chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard index (HI), cancer risk (CR), and total lifetime cancer risk (LCR) were determined on both adults and children via ingestion , dermal, and inhalation pathways. The HM averages (μg/g dry weight) were in the following order: Fe (345.70) > Mn (49.36) > Pb (41.98) > Zn (7.47) > Ni (1.73) > Cu (1.23) > Co (1.09) > Cd (0.14). Pollution indices found that Hurghada coastal sediments were moderately polluted with Pb but not with the other HMs. The average CDI values were in the descending order of ingestion > dermal > inhalation pathways, and the average CDI values on children were higher than those on adults. The hazard index (HI) for adults and children was Pb > Ni > Cd > Fe > Mn > Co > Cu > Zn, and all values were <1.0, showing that these HMs had no substantial non-carcinogenic impacts on the human body. LCR results show that children have greater values than adults. LCR values in adults were lower than 1 × 10 −6 , indicating no substantial health concerns, while in children they ranged from 1 × 10 −6 to 1 × 10 −4 , indicating no significant risk to human health.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115924
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