Assessment of Heavy Metals Pollution in the Marine Sediments of the Lévrier Bay (Nouadhibou, Mauritania)

Abstract

Geochemical study of twenty-seven marine sediments of the Levrier Bay used eleven heavy metals to display descriptive statistics and to assess the environmental impact of this industrial area. The analysis of eleven heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, V, Cr, Co, Hg, Cd, As and Mo), major and other trace elements, were performed by ICP-MS. Pollution load Index (PLI) show low degree of contamination. Geochemical Index (Igeo) and enrichment Factor (EF) have been used to assess the environment quality at varied sites in sediments. Results display moderate concentrations for the most of elements excepted the As and Hg which often are upon the amount measured in the UCC baseline. The local presence Hg and As, limited to some sites of the area, allow to conclude that the sediments of the Lévrier Bay didn’t suffer from the human activities in the area.

Keywords

• mauritania
• heavy metals
• pollution assessment
• sediments
• nouadhibou