Study of sediment contamination by trace metals at wastewater discharge points in Dakar (Senegal)
Coastal marine environments are increasingly affected by human activity because of urban waste, and use of the ocean as a dumping ground could lead to high levels of pollution. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration profiles of trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, Pb and Zn) in sediments in areas suspected to be contaminated by discharges of wastewater from Dakar, and to evaluate the quality of the sediments. To do this, sediment samples were collected at five points of sewage discharge into the sea near Dakar (Senegal). The results show comparable geochemical characteristics (size, alkalinity, organic carbon content and sulfur content) at the different sites. The assessment of sediment quality was performed by calculating various indices. A substantial enrichment of sediment cadmium and lead was especially noted. The Sediment Pollution Index (SPI), which estimates the degree of contamination of a site based on the relative toxicity of each metal in question, indicated a high degree of pollution or even an environmental hazard for the sediments studied. Indeed, cadmium and lead are present at high concentrations at the sites, each contributing about 94% and 5% to the potential hazard of the sediments (ranked by the SPI index), whereas zinc, copper, nickel and chromium, also present at high concentrations, contribute only about 1% to the overall pollution. High and moderate positive correlations are observed between Pb/Cd, Pb/Co, Cr/Cu, Cr/Zn, Cr/Fe, Cr/Mn, Cu/Ni, Cu/Fe, Cu/Mn and Zn/Mn, indicating their possible common origin from industrial and/or urban sources, and their comparable behavior in the sediment.