title: Environmental risk assessment of the Moroccan Atlantic continental shelf: the role of the industrial and urban area.
abstract: The present research presents the first large-scale analysis of heavy metal assessment in the Moroccan Atlantic shelf. This work provides scientific basis for future studies on environmental research and fills the gap in knowledge on the worldwide continental platforms. Metal distributions identified three different zones, mainly influenced by industrial and urban sewer (northern areas), agriculture runoffs (central zone), and estuarine discharges (southern areas), respectively. In the north part of the shelf, metal enrichments are observed near industrial and urban sewer mouths (Casablanca and Mohammedia cities). In the south and central areas, the probable absence of human impact on sediments is attributed to effective trapping in the estuary (Oum Er Rbia) and coastal zones, as well as dilution with less contaminated sediments and shelf sediments and removal with fine fractions due to estuary discharges.
authors.affiliation: UMR 6554 LETG-Nantes, Université de Nantes, BP 81227, 44312 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maanan
authors.affiliation: Marine Geosciences Laboratory (URAC 45), REMER, Faculty of Sciences, El Jadida, Morocco.
authors.forename: Bendahhou
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zourarah
authors.affiliation: Marine Geosciences Laboratory (URAC 45), REMER, Faculty of Sciences, El Jadida, Morocco.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahabi
authors.affiliation: Earth Sciences department, Faculty of Sciences, University Hassan II Ain Chock, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maanan
authors.affiliation: UMR 6538 Domaines Océaniques, Inst. Univ. Europeen de la Mer, Université de Bretagne occidentale, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Le Roy
authors.affiliation: Marine Geosciences Laboratory (URAC 45), REMER, Faculty of Sciences, El Jadida, Morocco.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mehdi
authors.affiliation: Marine Geosciences Laboratory (URAC 45), REMER, Faculty of Sciences, El Jadida, Morocco.
authors.forename: Fouad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salhi
mesh_terms: D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007221:Industry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D009018:Morocco; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Anthropogenic input; Atlantic shelf; Environmental assessment; Heavy metals; Sediment quality