Temporal and spatial distribution of heavy metals in Obhur Creek, a Coastal Red Sea water body North of Jeddah

Abstract EN

The present work is concerned with study of the concentrations of Mn, Cu.

Zn and Cd in the water and their levels in the plankton inhabited the surface water of Obhur Creek.

The vertical distribution pattern of dissolved metals shows that the mean values calculated for all metals in the surface water gave a slight decrease (except for Mn) in October and an increase in January (except for Cd) relative to that of the bottom water.

The data suggest that stagnant conditions of the creek water have lead to such surface decrease and restriction of metal replenishment in October (late summer).

The exchange of water inside the creek with that of the open Red Sea water outside the creek which takes place after summer, accompanied with a diminish in biological activity could be responsible for the relative increase in surface metal content in the creek water in January.

Surface distribution of dissolved metals showed elevated values near the mouth or the head of the creek.

The mixing between the surface water inside and outside the creek in the vicinity of its mouth could be responsible mainly for that high metal content near the mouth.

Moreover.

the injection of metal from enriched bottom water to the upper layer is also responsible for the high metal concentrations in the surface water near the head of the creek due to its shallowness.

The metal content in the plankton reflect s its main role in controlling the levels of heavy metals in the water of the creek.

Comparison between the data of the present and previous studies with data from other regions reveals warning from the increase in concentrations of metals in Obhur Creek, due principally to human impact.