Abstract
As much as 24 soil samples and 6 stream sediments from the River Nile were studied in El-Tabbin region (Great Cairo, Egypt). Twelve chemicals, potentially toxic elements posing potential environmental risk, were the object of concern in this study. Mean contents of analysed elements (in mg kg−1) in soils and the River Nile stream sediments were the following: Ass 3.6/Asss 1.5, Cds 0.33/Cdss 0.12, Crs 87.7/Crss 141.5, Cus 40.3/Cuss 43.8, Hgs 0.03/Hgss 0.13, Pbs 33.3/Pbss 20.2, Zns 150/Znss 109, Ses 0.24/Sess 0.05, Nis 37.2/Niss 48, Sbs 1.25/Sbss 1, Bas 892/Bass 431, Vs 103.3/Vss 167.8. Furthermore, geochemical background values were derived for soil and stream sediment samples. The values are as follows (in mg kg−1): Ass 1.33/Asss 1, Cds 0.48/Cdss 0.05, Crs 54.7/Crss 106.5, Cus 23.8/Cuss 23, Hgs 0.025/Hgss 0.095, Pbs 15.3/Pbss 13.5, Zns 70/Znss 55, Ses 0.13/Sess 0.05, Nis 19.5/Niss 32.5, Sbs 1/Sbss 1, Bas 266/Bass 275, Vs 50.7/Vss 119. More than two-thirds of soil and sediment samples exceeded established (based on literature data) risk limit values for non-polluted environment. Based on environmental risk assessment for potentially toxic elements in soils and sediments in more than 45% of total area disturbed environment (I ER = 1–3) was documented and more than 13% of territory was characterised with highly disturbed environment (I ER > 3).
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Melegy, A.A., Cvečková, V., Krčmová, K. et al. Environmental risk assessment of some potentially toxic elements in El-Tabbin region (Cairo, Egypt). Environ Earth Sci 61, 429–439 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0355-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0355-3