Table 2.

Average ± standard error of element concentrations in sediments at the five sampling sites in the southern Caspian Sea

Element	Anzali (A)	Hachirud (H)	Radio Darya (R)	Nowshahr (N)	Sisangan (S)	Maximum
Al (I)	45,000 ± 2200	15,600 ± 550	11,300 ± 490	43,000 ± 240	37,300 ± 1600	A
Ca (I)	99,000 ± 2800	44,000 ± 2600	26,000 ± 880	90,000 ± 4200	84,000 ± 2400	A
Fe (II)	63,000 ± 2100	91,000 ± 5700	98,000 ± 4400	40,000 ± 2500	67,000 ± 3300	R
Mg (I)	30,000 ± 1800	16,800 ± 680	9200 ± 470	26,000 ± 1400	29,000 ± 1700	A
Mn (II)	2200 ± 150	3500 ± 200	3000 ± 170	800 ± 50	1500 ± 80	H
Na (I)	10,000 ± 370	2500 ± 70	1500 ± 50	10,000 ± 260	8700 ± 310	A
Ti (I)	15,700 ± 780	3600 ± 100	6300 ± 340	14,000 ± 640	7000 ± 240	A
K (I)	10,400 ± 320	2000 ± 100	1500 ± 70	12,000 ± 440	9000 ± 440	N
S (III)	730 ± 27	460 ± 8	400 ± 16	420 ± 23	450 ± 22	A
P (III)	750 ± 30	810 ± 39	700 ± 39	630 ± 33	640 ± 30	H
Ba (I)	240 ± 12	90 ± 4	120 ± 5	270 ± 9	210 ± 10	N
Cr (II)	300 ± 14	700 ± 35	700 ± 23	170 ± 6	300 ± 16	H
V (II)	260 ± 12	800 ± 39	900 ± 28	95 ± 4	270 ± 9	R
Ni (II)	51 ± 2	80 ± 3	80 ± 7	40 ± 1	50 ± 2	H
Pb (II)	30 ± 1	61 ± 2	62 ± 3	30 ± 1	30 ± 1	R
Zn (II)	80 ± 3	250 ± 8	200 ± 6	45 ± 2	100 ± 6	H
Co (II)	25 ± 1	45 ± 2	40 ± 1	15 ± 1	20 ± 1	H
Cu (II)	20 ± 1	45 ± 2	30 ± 1	10 ± 1	15 ± 1	H

Element concentrations are expressed in mg/kg. “Maximum” in the last column indicates the site (first letter of site name, as indicated in brackets) where the highest concentration of each element was recorded

I, II, and III associated to each element indicate different groups in which metals were grouped according to the PCA analysis. A Anzali, H Hachirud, R Radio Darya, N Nowshahr, S Sisangan