Table 2.

Total metals concentration (μgg⁻¹ dry weight) in sediments from the Egyptian Mediterranean coast

	Cd	Co	Cr	Cu	Fe	Mn	Ni	Pb	Zn
Minimum	0.04	0.43	4.08	0.46	243	17	1.65	3.34	2.05
Maximum	0.47	26.39	297.95	26.26	38045	1086	60.25	53.67	62.21
Mean	0.22	8.24	82.74	8.46	13256	381	25.93	13.17	22.19
Median	0.17	4.47	53.1	7.32	7597	313.5	18.63	8.35	19.21
SD	0.15	8.40	90.18	6.22	12911	305	20.96	11.90	15.84
CV %	69	102	109	74	97	80	81	90	71
TEL	0.68	-	52.3	18.6	-	-	15.9	30.2	124
PEL	4.2	-	160	108	-	-	42.8	112	271
ERL	1.2	-	81	34	-	-	21	47	150
ERM	9.6	-	370	270	-	-	52	220	410
SEPA
Class I	0.5	-	-	35	-	-	-	60	150
Class II	1.5	-	-	100	-	-	-	130	350
Class III	5	-	-	200	-	-	-	250	600
EPD
Class A	<0.1	-	<25	<10	-	-	<15	<25	<70
Class B	0.1–1.0	-	25–50	10–41	-	-	15–35	25–65	70–150
Class C	1–1.5	-	50–80	55–64	-	-	35–40	65–75	150–200
Class D	>1.5	-	>80	>64	-	-	>1.5	>75	>200

SD Standard deviation, CV Coefficients of variation, TEL Threshold Effect Level, PEL Probable Effect Level, ERL Effects rang low, ERM Effects range median