Determination and comparison of selected heavy metal concentrations in seawater and sediment samples in the coastal area of Suva, Fiji.

The coastal area of Suva, Fiji is exposed to high degree of metals input from different sources such as land-based industrial activities like metal fabrication and construction, paint manufacturing, petroleum storage and garment manufacturing, food processing and fish cannery as well as activities of bottling plants. It is therefore essential to have continuous monitoring and environmental management for the coastal area. Thus, to assess the degree of contamination of metals, selected metals (Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni) concentrations were analysed in seawater and sediment samples collected from ten sites in the coastal area of Suva, Fiji.