Distribution and diagenesis of trace metals in marine sediments of a coastal Mediterranean area: St Georges Bay (Lebanon).

Abstract St Georges Bay of Lebanon's coast is an open bay to the Mediterranean Sea. It is exposed to numerous anthropogenic activities such as industrial effluent, untreated wastewater discharge and maritime activities resulting in increasing chemical contamination, especially with trace metals. Contamination with trace metals (Cu, Cd, Co, Pb, As, Ag and Hg) and the influence of early diagenesis on their distribution were studied on both sediments and waters. For this purpose, sediment cores were collected, then treated under inert atmosphere to retrieve pore waters and solid fraction. The area appears to be seriously impacted by the materials transported by the Beirut River and/or by direct inputs, and recent land reclamation using dumpsite material. The sediments showed a significant level of contamination. Element mobility was studied by selective extraction on sediments. The mobility of trace elements from solid fraction to pore waters is controlled by the Fe/Mn cycle and organic matter.