title: Mercury pollution for marine environment at Farwa Island, Libya.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Farwa is an Island in Libya receives petrochemical wastes generated from General Company of Chemical Industries (GCCI) since more than 40 years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present work aimed to determine the concentrations of mercury (Hg(+2)) in fish, marine plants and sediment collected from Farwa lagoon to evaluate effect of industrial wastewater from GCCI on the marine environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hundred and twelve samples of fish, pearl oyster, cuttlefish sediments and marine plants were analyzed to determine Hg(2+) concentration during the period from January to August 2014 by using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest concentration of Hg(2+) was detected in Pinctada radiata (11.67 ± 3.30 μgg (-1)) followed by Serranus scriba (6.37 ± 0.11 μg g (-1)) and Epinephelus marginatus (6.19 ± 0.02 μg g (-1)). About 75 % of marine plants contained the maximum contaminations during the summer season. In fish samples Hg(2+) concentrations exceeded the levels provided by international standards.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fish at Farwa lagoon is heavily contaminated with Hg(2+) which may represent a source for mercury poisoning for human.
authors.affiliation: Environment Engineering Department, Subrata College, University of Zawia, Zawia, Libya.
authors.forename: Adel A S
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Banana
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Civil & Environment Engineering, UTHM, Parit Raja, Malaysia.
authors.forename: R M S Radin
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Civil & Environment Engineering, UTHM, Parit Raja, Malaysia ; High Institute of health sciences, Sana'a, Yemen.
authors.forename: A A S
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Gheethi
keywords: Contamination; Farwa Island; Fishes; Mercury