TRACE-ELEMENTS IN SEDIMENTS OF THE WESTERN GULF

The concentration and distribution of Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, V, Zn, Mn, and Fe have been determined in sediments of the Western Gulf. The samples investigated are texturally classified into two main sediment classes: sand and mud. Mud sediments were found in Kuwait area, whereas at sites extending south from Kuwait sediments grade to sand-size materials. The differences in trace element concentrations reflect the variation in the overall composition of their host. The elements analysed were high in the mud samples from the Kuwait area and decrease to the south with an increasing sand fraction to attain their lowest concentration in the deposits of Qatar. The increase of trace element contents in the sand sediments of Saudi Arabia could be due to the presence of detrital sand-size particles rich in trace elements. A comparison with unpolluted sediments throughout the Gulf and worldwide, reveals that the effect of anthropogenic enrichment upon the absolute concentration of the elements is minimal.