POLLUTION STATUS AND ECOLOGICAL RISKS OF METALS IN COASTAL SEAWATER OF RED SEA AND GULF OF AQABAHamdy E. Nour and Mohannad M. GaroubAbstract Recognizing the crucial significance of marine environments, and evaluating and monitoring pollutants emerges as a substantial challenge. To address this, twenty coastal water samples were systematically collected from key beach sites along the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea coasts. Iron, zinc, copper, lead, cobalt, and mercury levels were scrutinized using an atomic spectrometer. The findings reveal the average concentration of various heavy metals (HMs) in descending order (μg/l): Fe (3.98) > Zn (1.60) > Cu (0.67) > Pb (0.35) > Cd (0.17) > Hg (0.016). Furthermore, the results of the heavy metal evolution index (HEI) underscore the absence of significant contamination across all examined samples (HEI < 5). Simultaneously, the results derived from the heavy metal pollution index (HPI) reveal that 45% of the studied areas exhibit low levels of heavy metals (HPI < 100), with the remaining sites registering moderate contamination levels. However, the general status of pollutant assessment in the study areas indicates the absence of significant pollution and the current water quality situation in these areas does not threaten human health. It underscores the resilience of these environments against the backdrop of continuous human development activities. Nevertheless, it is prudent to recommend ongoing environmental monitoring of these beaches to assess. and promptly address any potential decline in water quality. |