title: Using an Integrated Approach to Assess the Sediment Quality of an Mediterranean Lagoon, the Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia).
abstract: The present study investigates the quality of surface sediments from the Bizerte lagoon (North Tunisia) using an integrated approach including chemical contaminant analysis, bioassays and sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). Sediment samples were collected at 9 sites and analyzed for eight heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Fe and Mn). PAHs, PCBs, OCPs were measured previously in the same sediment samples. Our results indicated that the highest concentrations of metals were found near urban areas due to the municipial and industrial wastewater discharges. Sediment pollution assessment was carried out using geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor, which indicate a widespread pollution by Cd, Pb, Ni and Zn in the studied sediments. For bioassays, aqueous and organic extracts were used to assess toxicity and genotoxicity in sediments by using Microtox(®) and SOS Chromotest, respectively. Toxicity levels were compared to metallic and organic pollutants contents. Our results highlight differences in the pattern of responses between the different assays and show no correlation with all the studied contaminants, emphasizing the influence of other contaminants not analyzed in the present study. Based on SQGs, the results of toxicity assessment indicated that adverse effects caused by Ni and Zn would be expected frequently. Nickel was found to have the highest predicted acute toxicity, followed by Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu and Cr. There was no significant relationship between sediment toxicity calculated from heavy metal concentrations (SQG approach) and those measured with bioassays. These findings support the use of integrated approachs for evaluating the environmental risks of sediments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Heteroatom Organic Chemistry, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia. barhoumibadredine@yahoo.fr.|University of Bordeaux, Avenue des Facultés CNRS EPOC 5805, 33405, Talence Cedex, France. barhoumibadredine@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Badreddine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barhoumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth Sciences Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbarhoumi
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, Avenue des Facultés CNRS EPOC 5805, 33405, Talence Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clérandeau
authors.affiliation: Department of Geomatics Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Abdulla M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al-Rawabdeh
authors.affiliation: Office National des Mines, Siège social de l'ONM 24, rue de L'Energie, 2035 La Charguia - Tunis, 1080, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Atef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atyaoui
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Heteroatom Organic Chemistry, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Soufiane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Touil
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Heteroatom Organic Chemistry, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed Ridha
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Driss
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, Avenue des Facultés CNRS EPOC 5805, 33405, Talence Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cachot
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014416:Tunisia; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Marine lagoon; Metals; Organic pollutants; Surface sediments; Toxicity assays