Heavy metals contamination levels at the Coast of Aliaga (Turkey) ship recycling zone

Aliaga Bay is one of the most important maritime zones of Turkey where shipping activity, shipbreaking industry, steel works and petrochemical complexes exist together. Concentrations of heavy metals and organic carbon in sediment of the Aliaga Bay were investigated to evaluate an environmental risk assessment from metals contamination in 2009-2010. Comparison of the metal concentrations with average shale and Mediterranean background levels revealed that most of the samples from the Aliaga were polluted with Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn and Ni. It was found that Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn and Ni levels in Aliaga Bay exceeded the PEL values. Sediments, contaminated with Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn and Ni were considered as heavily polluted per the SQG. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.