Accumulation and Bioavailability of Heavy Metals (Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, Lead and Zinc) in Water and Sediment Samples in the Musa Creek, Northwest Coasts of the Persian Gulf

The current study aimed to investigate the total concentrations of heavy metals in water and sediment samples as well as their bioavailability in sediments of Musa Creek. Twenty samples including 10 sediments and 10 water samples were collected from 10 stations. The concentration of heavy metals was measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The bioavailability of heavy metals was carried out by first step of Tessier sequential extraction method so called single extraction in the manuscript. The results showed that the mean concentrations of cadmium, chromium, nickel, and zinc in water samples was 0.17, 7.44, 43.80, and 8.85 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of lead was lower than the detection limit of the 0.1 mg/L. The positive correlation of heavy metals in water samples is due to their potential common source. The negative correlation of nickel with other elements in sediment samples indicates that, apart from the industrial activity in the region, the geogenic origin affects the concentration of metals. The factor analysis showed two components. The first component was lead, zinc, chromium, and cadmium with the common source (s) and nickel was the second component with geogenic origin. The high concentrations of heavy metals in the exchangeable phase of Tessier sequential extraction showed that the bioavailability of the elements in sediment samples, especially lead and zinc is at a high level that could be a serious threat to the aquatics of the region.