Assessment of heavy metals pollution in Sudanese harbours along the Red Sea Coast

The levels of some heavy metals in sediments of two harbours along the Sudanese Coast of the Red Sea were examined and reported for the first time. A total of thirty-six surface sediment samples were collected from Port-Sudan and Sawakin harbours. Part of each sample was partitioned into five fractions with grain-size ranges of 1000–500, 500–250, 250–125, 125–63 and less than 63 μm. The Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb concentration in bulk samples and sub-samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The spatial distribution pattern of heavy metal content of crustal origin in the sediments is more uniform in Port-Sudan harbour than in Sawakin harbour. The granulometric normalization revealed that some sites in Port-Sudan harbour and one site in Sawakin harbour have been exposed to different levels of heavy metal contamination, which probably originated from ships, industrial and domestic activities.