Ecological Risk of Trace Metals : Ecological Risk Assessment of Trace Metals in Sediments along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast

During the last decades, there has been an extensive increase in the level of urbanization and industrialization along the Egyptian coastal area. At the same time, little data are available for the concentrations of trace metals along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast. Studies on the environmental state of the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast have concentrated in the past mostly on simple chemical and bulk analysis of sediments. Most of the studies investigated metals in the total form and no comprehensive study was performed to investigate the most important metal bearing fractions in sediments and their mobility, bioavailability and thereby their toxicity. In addition, no data are available for the AVS/SEM as an important tool for evaluating metal toxicity in sediments.