Ecological effects and health risks of potentially toxic elements in Cyctoceria barbata and sediment

Abstract

A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the levels, sources, potential ecological risks, and impacts on public health of potential toxic elements (PTEs) in the sediments and C. barbata in 8 cities located on the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. In all the measuring stations, the enrichment factors (EF) for Ni, Zn and Cu metals in the sediments were in the “minimal enrichment” class. All PTEs have shown “low ecological risk” at all stations according to the ecological risk index ($E_r^i)$. As a result of the geo-accumulation index (I_geo) analysis, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn were evaluated as “practically uncontaminated” at all sampling points. It was determined that the sediments at all stations were rated as “no heavy metal pollution” according to the pollution load index (PLI) result, “low toxicity level” according to the toxic units (TUs) result, and “low ecological risk” according to the potential ecological risk index (PERI) result. According to the biological risk index (BRI) results, sediments in Artvin, Rize, Giresun, Ordu, Sinop and Kastamonu were evaluated as “low priority side” and in Trabzon and Samsun as “medium-low priority side”. Since the metal pollution indeks (MPI) level was >1 in all stations, it is thought that C. barbata may pose a significant risk to human health if consumed.