Ramia Shreba * ⁽¹⁾ Badr Al Ali ⁽¹⁾ Hussam Eddin Laika ⁽²⁾

(1). Department of Marine Biology at High Institute of Marine Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.

(2). Department of Marine Chemistry at High Institute of Marine Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria

(*Corresponding author: Ramia Ahmad Shreba. E-Mail: shrebaramia@yahoo.com)

Received:24/07/2022          Accepted: 2/09/2022

Abstract: 

This research aimed in evaluating of bacterial and heavy metals contamination in marine sediments at three sites on the beach of Lattakia city during summer 2021 and winter 2022 by determining the concentrations of (lead and cadmium) as well as indicators of microbial contamination (Total Bacterial count (TB) and Fecal Coliform (FC) and Fecal Streptococcus (FS)), and the source of contamination was determined based on the ratio of Fecal Coliform and Fecal Streptococci (FC/FS). The results showed high values ​​of microbial contamination indicators and heavy metal concentrations in the study sites during winter and summer, respectively, where TB values ​​ranged between (1.3–3.75) × 10⁵ CFU/100g and CFU/100g (1.55–6.3) × 10⁵ and FC between (2.5–3.75) ×10³ CFU/100g and FS between (2–2.9) x 10³ CFU/100g, while lead concentrations were between (37.15–41.69) mg/kg and cadmium concentrations were between (1.67–3.14) mg/kg. The results showed also temporal and spatial changes in the indicators of the study between the different sites depending on the change in human activities, as it was noted that most study sites are polluted and not recommended for human use, while the source of pollution in the summer and winter was of mixed origin FC/FS: 0.7-4 or from an animal source (>0.7).

Keywords: marine sediments, heavy metals, bacterial pollution, FC/FS, Syria.

Full paper in Arabic: pdf