Evaluation of heavy metal pollution of Zinc, Nickel, Chromium, Lead, Cadmium, Copper and Iron in water, surface sediments and algae of the northern shores of Makran Sea in summer 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals in water, surface sediments and algae at 12 stations on the shores of the Makran Sea with 3 replications in the summer of 2020. Heavy metals were measured using the ConterAA700 atomic absorption spectrometer. The average heavy metals of zinc, nickel, chromium, lead, cadmium, copper and iron in water are 0.135, 0.061, 0.118, 0.018, 0.018, 0.036 and 0.123 mg, respectively. In liters and in sediments, 36.893, 25.952, 43.815, 21.588, 0.184, 32.55 and 24.069 mg/kg were obtained. The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between heavy metals zinc, nickel, lead, chromium, copper, cadmium and iron in water, sediments and algae (p < 0.01), but in the case of metal, the relationship between zinc and cadmium (R=0.364) and iron-cadmium (r=0.280) correlation was weak (P>0.01). The concentrations of zinc, chromium, nickel, copper, iron, lead and cadmium in surface sediments were higher than the studied water and algae. Based on the analysis of studied heavy metal clusters in water, sediments and algae were divided into two main groups. The first group consisted of nickel, iron, zinc, copper, lead and chromium, and the second group consisted of cadmium. Different cluster groups represent differences in the geochemical behavior and different origins of metals. Therefore, the metals in a group have the same and natural origin. Health risk assessment showed that some heavy metals in the study area can cause health problems and pathogenicity in humans. The transfer of heavy metals by water in algae for chromium, nickel, lead, cadmium, copper, zinc and iron was higher than 1, but the transfer of heavy metals by sediments for all metals was less than 1 and in some cases it was calculated in the range of 1-2.5.