title: Distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments along southeast coast of the Caspian Sea.
abstract: The present study aimed to evaluate heavy metal concentrations of Arsenic (As), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn), their spatial distribution, enrichment factor index (EF), the pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk (PER) in two different seasons of the year (winter and summer) in surface sediments along southeast coast of the Caspian Sea. The results indicated that there were significant differences between concentrations of As, Ni and Pb in two different seasons. Considering PER, sediments from southeast Caspian coast had low ecological risk. According to PLI, sediment from the southeast coast had no pollution. Risk assessment showed that As threshold concentrations to occasionally be exceeded in the study area.
authors.affiliation: Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS), Tehran 1411813389, Iran.
authors.forename: Kazem Darvish
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Bastami
authors.affiliation: Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS), Tehran 1411813389, Iran; Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad International Campus, Iran. Electronic address: bagheri1@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.affiliation: Golestan Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kheirabadi
authors.affiliation: Iranian Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ghasem Ghorbanzadeh
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Zaferani
authors.affiliation: Iranian Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Bagher
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Teymori
authors.affiliation: Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS), Tehran 1411813389, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamzehpoor
authors.affiliation: Young Researchers and Elites Club, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soltani
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Fishery Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 45165-386, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haghparast
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad International Campus, Iran.
authors.forename: Sayyed Reza Moussavi
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Harami
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Technology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin Farzaneh
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Ghorghani
authors.affiliation: Department of marine biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganji
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012621:Seasons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Caspian Sea; Heavy metals; Potential ecological risk; Season; Sediment