Monitoring of Changes of Sediment Nature by Environmental Impacts of El-Zeit Bay Area, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

El-Zeit Bay area has been significantly impacted by petroleum operations, including drilling and backfilling activities associated with the construction of a pier. These activities have altered the coastline, particularly on the eastern side, by displacing large rocky masses such as coral reefs. This has had a detrimental effect on the marine sediments in the area. Mechanical and geochemical analyses were conducted on 11 surface marine sediment samples collected from El-Zeit Bay. The results revealed a predominance of sand with varying amounts of mud and gravel, with some samples showing increased gravel content at greater depths. Sediment sizes ranged from very coarse to fine grained across the study area. The carbonate content in these sediments ranged widely from 13.1 to 68.8%, averaging 47.0%. Some samples exhibited high organic material content, influenced primarily by sediment nature. Heavy metal concentrations in surface marine sediment samples were as follows: Fe ranged from 3,155 to 20,765ppm, with an average of 8,377ppm; Mn ranged from 79 to 305ppm, with an average of 143ppm; Zn ranged from 18.6 to 56.8ppm, with an average of 37.2ppm; Cu fluctuated from 4.9 to 23.6ppm, with an average of 11ppm; Pb ranged from 13.6 to 28.9ppm, with an average of 22.4ppm; Ni ranged from 9.4 to 21.7ppm, with an average of 15.2ppm; Co ranged from 1.4 to 6.2ppm, with an average of 3ppm; and Cd ranged from 0.6 to 2.9ppm, with an average of 2ppm. Pollution assessment utilized enrichment factors (EF), geoaccumulation (Igeo), and pollution load indices (PLI) to evaluate the sediment's contamination levels by these metals. In conclusion, the study provides recommendations aimed at mitigating the adverse environmental impact on El-Zeit Bay. These guidelines are crucial for managing future developments in the area, ensuring sustainable practices that minimize further degradation of the marine environment.