Heavy Metals Concentration in Sediments of South Brittany Waters, France: An Ecological Risk Assessment Approach

Distribution patterns of selected heavy metals content in sediments from the Bay Quiberon and Gulf Morbihan were studied to understand current contamination due urbanization mariculture activities coastal area. Therefore, a survey was conducted 196 collected characterized for using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) after mix acid digestion process. The distribution maps concentrations produced as an isopleth map based on data interpolation by ArcGIS software application. association with adverse effects aquatic organisms determined classification sediment according quality guidelines. two approaches employed namely: direct comparison Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) other numerical SQGs, threshold effect level/probable level, range low/effect medium. In order estimate multiple contaminations metals, mean-ERM-quotient calculated at each sampling point.