Spatial distribution and extent of environmental risks of strontium metal concentration in water and bottom sediments of Nile River, Egypt

Abstract

Strontium is one of the rare heavy metals found in the sediments and water of the Nile River. By examining the metal concentration in 69 sampling points along the river between two Nile banks and the Middle, we could throw further light on its dispersion in the current study. High Sr concentrations were found in the eastern>western>middle regions with average concentrations of 344.3, 338.39, and 327.57ppm, respectively, due to the point sources such as industrial activities, sewage wastes, and agricultural discharge. High Sr concentrations were found in the West and East of Cairo (Samalut and Beni Suef) (395, 397, and 392 ppm). Various pollution indices, such as the Geo-accumulation index, Contamination factor, and Enrichment factor depiction, were used to determine the pollution level caused by this metal, ranging from low to moderate contamination. According to the extraction fractions, the occurrence nature of the element is as follows: Acid soluble > residual >Fe- Mn oxy-hydroxides (reducible)> organic (Oxidizable). The risk assessment code based on the Acid soluble fraction indicates moderate to high risk. Renal failure and baby bone growth problems are common in Egypt, impacting Sr concentration in sediments. The average Sr concentration in water is around (221.58µg/l), indicating that the water is perfectly safe to drink. The study's findings are useful in determining the extent of Sr metal pollution in the river. If not monitored, Sr concentration will be an issue in Egypt and Ethiopia following dam construction. After the dam is built, this study will serve as a baseline.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Dust in Vilnius Schools: Source Identification, Pollution Levels, and Potential Health Risks for Children

“…Factor 5 is characterized by a strong association with Sr, Sc and with the contribution of Rb and V. The production and disposal of electronic devices, particularly fluorescent lamps, can contribute to elevated levels of Sr in dust. This is particularly relevant in schools where fluorescent lamps are commonly used, and broken lamps can release even higher concentrations of Sr [ 60 ]. V can be derived from domestic heating and automotive traffic [ 61 ].…”

Environmental Geochemistry and Fractionation of Cadmium Metal in Surficial Bottom Sediments and Water of the Nile River, Egypt

“…Exchangeable and carbonate, Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide (reducible), organically bound (oxidizable), and residual geochemical forms are important for determining the biological form of cadmium as well as the solubility, mobility, and toxicity of metals bound to various sediment phases [ 80 ]. Metals attached to the metals bound to the exchangeable fraction are easily accessible, but those in the carbonate phases are more mobile with increasing acidity [ 39 , 51 ]. The residual fraction is considered to represent the unreactive phase.…”

“…Cluster 2 comprises two sampling sites (Helwan and Aswan) close to manufacturing activities (iron and steel mills and a sugar refinery). Cluster 3 consists of 20 sampling sites (Cairo, Sohag, Bni Mazar, Girga, Esna, Samalut, Giza, Naser, Sidaf, Luxor, Asyut, AbuTij, Biba, KomUmbu, Qena, Minya, Nagaa Hammadi, Tahta, Armant, and Edfu) near bridges, dams, water treatment plants, sugar production plants [ 51 ], and agricultural expulsion facilities are the most common locations.…”

“…The BCR-701 sediment certified reference material was used to validate it, which included certified and indicated extractable amounts of Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cr, and Zn [ 44 ]. Many specialists used and approved this method [ 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Before the BCR process, the sediments were utterly dried in an oven at 40 °C for around 48 h. A shaker was used to mix the sediments at room temperature for 16 h. To get the fractions, each step’s fraction extraction was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 20 min and then placed in a polyethylene centrifuge tube.…”

“…Each sample was cleaned with 10 mL of ultrapure water before and after extracting the data. After soaking in dilute HNO 3 overnight, all polypropylene and glassware were washed with ultrapure water before use [ 51 ]. The sample’s residues were digested with a mixture of acids (HNO 3 + HF + HClO 4 ) [ 52 ].…”