Elemental Concentration and Potential Ecological Risk Assessment of Mangrove Surface Sediments in Conakry, Guinea
Nnawugwu Nwawuike *
Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology, University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Imo State, Nigeria and Department of Earth Science, Shimane University, Japan.
Hiroaki Ishiga
Department of Earth Science, Shimane University, Japan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Surface sediments of Conakry mangrove, Guinea were sampled and analyzed to assess their concentration and potential ecological risks. Seventeen trace elements and five major elements were analyzed using XRF. Mean, STDEV, correlation matrix, CF, Cd, EF, PI, MPI, Eri, RI and PCI were used for data analyses. The results indicated contrasting element concentrations with location. Cl; Fe2O3 and Sc; MnO had the highest and lowest average concentrations among the trace and major elements used for the study. Relative to the UCC values, As, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, V, Cl, Fe2O3, MnO and P2O5 had higher values while Cu, Sr, Y, Nb, Zr, Th, Sc, F, TiO2 and CaO had lower values. Fe2O3 majorly influenced the concentration of most of the elements. As enrichment had a potentially moderate to considerable ecological risk while Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni were found to have potentially low ecological risk.
Keywords: Mangrove sediment, trace element, major element, sediment pollution, element enrichment, ecological risk