Evaluation of nitrogen and heavy metal pollution in southern Caspian Sea: Risk assessment and modeling approach.

Industrial, agricultural, and recreational activities dump several pollutants into the Caspian Sea, which is one of the main water bodies of Iran. Therefore, performing risk assessments would be required as part of the monitoring programs. Herein, non-cancer health risk assessment of the consumption of macroalgae was performed and the ecological risk assessment of metal pollution in sediments of the southern Caspian Sea was presented using sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), enrichment factors (EF), contamination factors (CF), contamination degrees (CD), pollution load indices (PLI), geo accumulation indices (I), and potential ecological risk indices (RI).

Stable isotope ratios (δC and δN) and heavy metal levels in macroalgae, sediment, and benthos from the northern parts of Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

In this investigation, δC and δN isotope ratios and heavy metal levels were assessed in macroalgae, sediment samples, and benthic species from northern parts of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The highest δN values in algal samples (11±0.42), indicative of anthropogenic organic N inputs, were detected in the Sadaf region, whereas the lowest values (3.

Nitrogen and metal pollution in the southern Caspian Sea: a multiple approach to bioassessment.

The Caspian Sea hosts areas of high ecological value as well as industrial, leisure, and agricultural activities that dump into the water body different kinds of pollutants. In this complex context, a proper description of the origin and potential sources of pollution is necessary to address management and mitigation actions aimed at preserving the quality of the water resource and the integrity of the ecosystems. Here, we aimed at detecting sources of both nitrogen inputs, by N stable isotope analysis of macroalgae, and metals in macroalgae and sediments in two highly anthropized coastal stretches at the Iranian side of the Caspian Sea.