Health risk assessment and contamination of potentially toxic elements in southwest of the Red Sea coastal sediment

The current study evaluates the contamination and health risks by Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Mn in coastal sediment of the Abu Ghusun, Egyptian Red Sea. 28 surface sediments were collected for PTE analysis and several indices were applied to assess contamination and risks to human health. The descending order of the average concentrations of PTEs (& mu;g/g, dry weight) were in the following order: Fe (3022) > Mn > (424.22) > Zn (5.66) > Pb (2.058) > Ni (1.50) > Co (1.21) > Cu (0.38) > Cd (0.18). The Abu Ghusun coastal sediments were severely enriched with Cd, moderately severely enriched with Mn, moderately enriched with Pb, and minor to no enriched with the remaining PTEs. PINemerow indicated slight pollution for Mn and no contamination with the remaining PTEs, while ERI revealed no-to-low risk in the study area. However, the concentrations of the PTEs examined were significantly below the SQGs. The chronic daily intake (CDI) and hazard index (HI) for adults and children took in order: Fe > Mn > Ni > Cd > Pb > Co > Zn > Cu with increasing levels in children than adults. HI values suggest that there were no significant non-carcinogenic effects observed on the human body. The total cancer risk (LCR) accounted for 6.26 x 10-9 for adults and 2.92 x 10-8 for children, indicating no significant health hazards. & COPY; 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.