Assessment of heavy metals from sediments in different coastal sites of Aden governorates, Yemen

Metals are most common in the environment. Their occurrence in surface waters, groundwater, sediments and aquatic life indicates the presence of natural as well as anthropogenic sources. The accumulation of heavy metals in sediments can pose serious environmental problems to the surrounding areas. The coastal ecosystem of Aden Coast in Yemen is an important international waterway. Therefore it is important and essential to conserve cleanliness of marine water and sediments in terms of pollution. Yemen has a long coast line extending about 2000 Km along the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea coast. Yemen is responsible for navigational security and has also to deal with oil pollution. The coastal area receives significant amount of containing metal waste from municipal wastewater, garbage and automobile discharges. The Aden Governorete is located near the Arabian Sea and seasonal monsoon affects the sea ecosystem of the Aden Coast. Five locations along Aden sea shore were selected for study of the availability of heavy metals and their concentration in the surficial sediments. Heavy metals in sediment samples viz. As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn have been determined from the Aden Governorate of Yemen during 2010. (author)