Marine Pollution Bulletin 149 (2019) 110655

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Marine Pollution Bulletin

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul

Composition and abundance of microplastics in surface sediments and their T

interaction with sedimentary heavy metals, PAHs and TPH (total petroleum
hydrocarbons)
Maryam Yazdani Foshtomia,b,∗, Shahrbanoo Oryana, Mehrshad Taheric, Kazem Darvish Bastamic,
Mohammad Ali Zaheda
a
Biological Science Faculty, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
b
Sustainable Agriculture Company, Hyrcanian Modern Farm, Gorgan, Iran
c
Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS), Tehran, Iran

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The composition and abundance of microplastics (MPs) and concentrations of heavy metals, PAHs and TPH in
Coastal zone surface sediments as well as their relationship with the number of MPs in three contrasting sediment types were
Sediment investigated in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Total number of MPs ranged from 3542 to 33561 items per m2 in different
Microplastics stations. The collected MPs displayed a variety of shapes and colors. White filaments were the most dominant MP
Heavy metals
item in the Khor-e-Yekshabeh and Suru stations while blue fragments were dominant items in the Gorsozan.
PAHs and TPH
Concentrations of heavy metals, PAHs and TPH also varied among stations. There were significant correlations
between the total number of MPs, sediment grain size and ten measured heavy metals (P < 0.05). In contrast,
no significant correlations were detected with PAHs (except for Benzo (a) ant) and TPH concentrations
(P > 0.05). MPs in sediment as vectors for heavy metals and some PAHs can ingest by benthic animals, resulting
in their bioaccumulation in marine food web.

1. Introduction
Occurrence of plastics debris, especially microplastics (MPs) in
marine environment has been reported in the world over (e.g. Gregory
and Ryan, 1997; Moore, 2008; Pasternak et al., 2018; Sarafraz et al.,
2016). Microplastics (MPs, plastic debris < 5 mm) have been detected
in the seawater surface, water column and sediment (Gregory and
Ryan, 1997; Naji et al., 2017b; Thompson et al., 2004). Because of
durability and low degradation rate of plastic debris, MPs can accu-
mulate and concentrate in marine sediments (Naji et al., 2017b; Qiu
et al., 2015). The presence of MPs in marine ecosystems has potential to
cause adverse effects on marine biota (Canniff and Hoang, 2018; Lei
et al., 2018). Apart from stress of ingestion and physical blockage of
digestive systems (Anderson et al., 2016), harmful and toxic chemicals
are the key problems associated with plastic waste (MPs). In marine
environments, plastic debris has been shown to contain various con-
taminants including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which can leach to the
environment (Engler, 2012; Hahladakis et al., 2018; Hermabessiere
et al., 2017; Mato et al., 2001). Some of these are added to plastics
during manufacture (Hahladakis et al., 2018; Wang et al., 2017) while
others are adsorbed to plastic debris from the environment (e.g. Wang
et al., 2017). As a consequence plastic additives could represent an
increasing ecotoxicological risk for marine organisms (Hermabessiere
et al., 2017; Koelmans et al., 2014).
The hydrophobicity of organic xenobiotics and the large surfaces of
floating polymers facilitate the adsorption of these chemicals on mi-
croplastics at concentrations orders of magnitude higher than those
detected in seawater. The possibility for plastic particles to adsorb
chemical pollutants from the surrounding environment has been also
characterized in laboratory conditions. Different particles polymers,
like polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, were
shown to have a high sorption capacity for DDTs, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs), hexachlorocyclohexanes and chlorinated ben-
zenes. Consistent with these studies, several persistent organic pollu-
tants (POPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organo-halogenated
pesticides, nonylphenol, PAHs and dioxins have been detected in plastic
pellets stranded on different beaches of the world (Avio et al., 2015).
Ashton et al. (2010) determined the association of metals with
plastic production pellets (PPP), sampled from four beaches in SW

∗
Corresponding author. Biological Science faculty, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
E-mail address: maryam.yazdanifoshtomi@gmail.com (M. Yazdani Foshtomi).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110655
Received 30 January 2019; Received in revised form 7 October 2019; Accepted 7 October 2019
Available online 16 October 2019
0025-326X/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
M. Yazdani Foshtomi, et al.
England and noted that pellets were enriched with cadmium and lead
with PPP's able to accumulate metals to concentrations approaching
those of sediment and algal fragments. Holmes et al.(2012) assessed the
interactions between trace metals and PPP's under estuarine conditions
and concluded that plastic pellets effectively sorb trace metals.
Hormozgan is the most important province in the southern part of
Iran. A recent study by Khosravi et al. (2018) showed that currents in
Hormozgan coastal waters are dominated by tidal forcing with mixed
semi-diurnal characteristics. Previous studies in Bandar Abbas (the ca-
pital of Hormozgan province) indicated that human activities (in-
dustries, agriculture and tourism) were the main source of plastic debris
input into coastal lines (Naji et al., 2017b; Sarafraz et al., 2016). It has
been showed a relationship between microplastics with heavy metals
(Dobaradaran et al., 2018; Wang et al., 2017), PAHs and PCBs
(Kalogerakis et al., 2014). Heavy metals adsorbed to plastic debris are
very bioavailable. However, due to differences in chemical and physical
properties of each plastic type such as surface area and hydrophobicity,
sorption rates of heavy metals to plastics would be expected to differ.
In the present study, the relationship between microplastics and
toxic chemicals accumulated in the sediment (heavy metals, PAHs and
TPH) has been studied at the same time and stations in three con-
trasting sediment types with different urban activities in Bandar Abbas,
Hormozgan, Iran. We tested the hypothesis that there is no relationship
between sediment microplastic contents with heavy metals, PAHs and
TPH contents in littoral sediments.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Study area
Coastal areas of Bandar Abbas are urbanized and heavily populated
areas with macro and microplastisc (Naji et al., 2017b; Sarafraz et al.,
2016). Plastic/polystyrene including caps/lids, drinks (bottles, con-
tainers, and drums), crisp/sweet packets and lolly sticks are the most
common items in this area. The possible sources of plastics includes
fisheries and aquaculture, shipping activities, sanitary and sewage-re-
lated waste, shipping including offshore activities, tourism and re-
creational based waste.
In the present study, three urban intertidal regions with different
amount of microplastic content in sediment were chosen (Naji et al.,
2017b) to understand the relationship between microplastic and toxic
chemicals accumulated in the sediment. Sediment samples were taken
Fig. 1. Map of sampling stations, Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Iran.
2
Marine Pollution Bulletin 149 (2019) 110655
in high intertidal zone in 4–6 June 2018 (Fig. 1).
2.2. Sampling and extraction of MPs from sediments
At each station, three sediment samples from top 5 cm were gath-
ered by means of three cores (i.d 10 cm) at high tide zone. All sediments
samples were transferred to clean dark Mason jars (covered with alu-
minum foil) and dried at 50 °C (Wang et al., 2017) for approximately
72 h (Coppock et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2017). Dry sediments (about
800 g dry weight) in each replicate were divided and introduced
equally (200 g) in four 2000 ml glass beakers and microplastics ex-
tracted from each sediment replicate by adding 1500 ml of zinc chloride
separation solution (specific density 1.55 g/ml) into each glass beaker.
After that, sediments in glass beakers were mixed for 10 min using a
clean stainless steel spoon. After 1 h of settling, the supernatant was
filtered using a 38 μm mesh sieve and the beaker walls were rinsed by
zinc chloride solution using the squirt bottle. Total particles remained
on the sieve surface were rinsed twice with distilled water into a clean
1000 ml Mason jar (Zobkov and Esiukova, 2017). Then, 25 ml of 35%
hydrogenperoxide were added into each 1000 ml Mason jar in order to
remove natural organic material. The jars were covered with aluminum
foil and left overnight. In the next step to digest mollusks shell frag-
ments, 25 ml of 4.5% HCl solution was added into each jar. Finally, the
content of each jar were filtered on a filter paper. The filter papers were
rolled up, tied and placed into clean Petri dishes and dried at room
temperature for 24 h (Zobkov and Esiukova, 2017). All microplastic
particles were inspected under a Leica Wild M8 stereomicroscope at
magnifications up to 40×. Microplastics were identified and counted
based on their shape and color according to protocols recommended
and developed by (Frias et al., 2018; Sruthy and Ramasamy, 2017).
Polymer composition of microplastics in the studied stations was
analyzed using FT-IR in the previous studies (Naji et al., 2017a). To
identify correctly plastic pieces and distinguish between them and or-
ganic matter, the hot needle method was applied for each plastic piece.
In the presence of a very hot needle, plastic pieces will melt or curl. In
the present study, total numbers of microplastic particles per m2 were
included in statistical analyses to explore any possible relationship with
heavy metals, PAHs and TPH contents in sediments.
2.3. Heavy metals, PAHs and TPH
At each station, six extra cores (i.d 10 cm) inserted down to 5 cm
M. Yazdani Foshtomi, et al.
Table 1
Environmental parameters (Mean ± SD, n = 3) measured in the present study.
Different capital letters above the numbers (A > B > C) indicate statistically
significant results of pairwise test (p < 0.05).
Khor-e-Yekshabeh Gorsozan Suru
B A
Sand (%) 10.33 ± 13.20 52.40 ± 8.78 17.53 ± 3.72B
Silt (%) 17.57 ± 13.94A 28.33 ± 5.62A 10.80 ± 1.31A
Clay (%) 72.10 ± 26.05A 19.27 ± 9.55B 71.66 ± 4.73A
TOM (%) 4.25 ± 0.32A 3.75 ± 1.53A 3.57 ± 0.74A
depth to investigate heavy metal contents (three replicates), polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and Total petroleum hydrocarbons
(TPH). For three replicates, dried sediments (105 °C for 24 h; Kazemi
et al., 2012) were ground and then 0.2 g was digested with 8 mL nitric
acid (65–68%, GR) and 2 mL hydrofluoric acid (> 40%, GR). Then, the
solution were transferred to heating block and then 0.5 mL perchloric
acid (70–72%, GR) was added and heated at 170 °C for about 1 h. The
solution was cooled and diluted for further analysis (Wang et al., 2017).
The concentrations of the heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Co,Cr,Cu,-
Fe,Hg,Mn,Ni,Pb,Ti and Zn) in sediment samples were determined using
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The precision
and accuracy of the methods were systematically and routinely checked
using standard reference materials.
In each station, sediments were dried in a freeze dryer (1.030 mbar
and −50 °C) for 72 h under high vacuum (Azimi et al., 2018) and
eleven most toxic PAHs listed by the USEPA (Bashe and Baker, 1990)
were assessed in three replicates. Sample extraction, preparation, and
analysis procedures for PAHs were conducted following the method
described by Zakaria et al. (2000, 2006) and Azimi et al. (2018).
Soxhlet extraction techniques were used for extraction of the pet-
roleum hydrocarbons from sediment samples. From each replicate, 10 g
of dried sediment was mixed with anhydrous sodium sulphate
(Na2SO4), spiked with 1 mL of 10 μg/mL surrogate standard and ex-
tracted with 200 mL dichloromethane in a Soxhlet extractor for 24 h.
The extract was run through a glass funnel containing anhydrous so-
dium sulphate, concentrated in a rotary evaporator and solvent ex-
changed to n-hexane, ready for cleanup (Adeniji et al., 2017; Sakari
et al., 2012). The concentrations of the PAHs and TPH in sediment
samples were determined using GC-MS. Quality Assurance and Quality
Control (QA/QC) included using procedural solvent and digestion
blanks through each batch analysis, triplicate sample analysis, spiked
samples (kit 610-N-Supelco4-7351) with PAH standard and using Cer-
tified Reference Materials (CRM) in each digestion batch.
Total organic matter was measured by heating sediment samples in
an oven at 530 ± 20 °C for 8 h (Dean, 1974). Total organic matter was
calculated by the following equation:
Total organic matter (TOM, %) = [(B–C)/B] × 100
where B and C are the weights of dried sediments before and after
combustion in the oven, respectively. Grain size analysis was performed
using laser particle size analyzer (HORIBA-LA950, France & Japan).
Potential ecological risk index (PER) was also introduced to assess
the contamination degree of heavy metals in the present sediments. The
equations for calculating the PER were proposed by Hakanson (1980) as
the following:
E = TC
C =Ca/Cb
PER = ∑ E = ∑TC
where C is the single element pollution factor, Ca is the content of the
element in samples and Cb is the reference value of the element. The
sum of C for all the heavy metals examined represents the integrated
pollution degree (C) of the environment. E is the potential ecological
3
Marine Pollution Bulletin 149 (2019) 110655
risk factor of an individual element. PER is a comprehensive potential
ecological index, which equals to the sum of E. It represents the sen-
sitivity of biological community to toxic substances and illustrates the
potential ecological risk caused by the overall contamination.
2.4. Statistical analyses
Possible differences in the total number of microplastic particles per
m2, all heavy metals, all PAH and TPH among stations were tested using
One-way permutational ANOVA (Permanova). Euclidean Distance re-
semblance matrices were used for all analyses. Whenever significant
difference was observed, pairwise test was performed. Due to the re-
stricted number of possible permutations of pairwise tests, p-values
were obtained from Monte Carlo (9999) permutation test. All above
analyses were done in PRIMER v6 with PERMANOVA+ add-on
(Anderson et al., 2008). Spearman's correlation was conducted to ex-
amine the relationships among total number of MPs (per m2), sediment
grain size, heavy metals, PAHs and TPH concentrations in sediments.
3. Results
3.1. Environmental conditions
Environmental conditions are given in Table 1. There were no sig-
nificant differences in silt (%) and TOM (%) contents among stations
(All tests: p > 0.05). The maximum percentage of sand (%) content
was observed in Gorsozan while there was no significant difference
between the other stations. The percentage of clay (%) content was
highest in Suru and Khor-e-Yekshabeh and lower in Gorsozan.
3.2. Microplastics distribution and abundance
Microplastics occurred in every replicates. Numbers of microplastics
(total number per m2 and total particle per kg) were significantly dif-
ferent among stations. The highest and lowest total number per m2
(33561 and 3542) and total particle per kg (367 and 38) were obtained
in Suru and Gorsozan, respectively (Fig. 2).
The collected MPs displayed a variety of shapes and colors. The
distribution of MPs according to shapes and colors in the stations is
shown in Table 2. Filaments were the most dominant MPs items in the
Khor-e-Yekshabeh and Suru which accounted for a 91.83% and 93.57%
of the total identified MPs at the sites. Fragments (41.94% of the total
identified MPs) were dominant shape in the Gorsozan. In this station,
foams were the second most commonly found shape of MPs, comprising
27.96% of the total particles identified. The most abundant colors of
filaments found in our study were white, red and blue (in the Khor-e-
Yekshabeh and Suru), while the colors of fragments were blue, trans-
parent and red (in the Gorsozan), respectively.
3.3. Heavy metal concentrations in sediments
The distribution of heavy metal concentrations in sediments is
shown in Table 3. There was no significant difference in mercury (Hg)
concentration among stations although the highest value was obtained
in Gorsozan. The highest concentrations of Arsenic (As) and Lead (Pb)
were obtained in Gorsozan while there was not difference between the
other stations. For other heavy metals, in general, the highest con-
centrations were in Sure while the lowest were in Gorsozan.
The average ecological risk of E value for all the heavy metals at the
most surface sediments were less than 40.
3.4. PAHs and TPH concentrations in sediments
The distribution of PAHs and TPH concentrations in sediments in
the studied sites is shown in Table 4. There were significant differences
in concentrations of total PAH, Naphthalene and Acenaphten among
M. Yazdani Foshtomi, et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin 149 (2019) 110655

Fig. 2. Number (mean ± sd, n = 3) of microplastic items in different stations. Different capital letters above the columns (A > B > C) indicate statistically sig-
nificant results of pairwise test (p < 0.05).

stations. The highest values were in Khor-e-Yekshabeh whereas the 4. Discussions

lowest values were in Suru. Their concentrations in Gorsozan did not
show significant differences with the other stations. There were not any
significant differences in concentrations of the other PAHs among sta-
tions.
3.5. The relationship among total number of MPs (per m2), sediment grain
size, heavy metals, PAHs and TPH concentrations in sediments
There were strong significant correlations among total number of
MPs (per m2), sediment grain size and ten heavy metals in sediments
(p < 0.05). In contrast, no significant correlations among total number
of MPs (per m2), PAHs (except with Benzo(a)ant) and TPH concentra-
tions in sediments were obtained (p > 0.05) (Table 5).
4.1. Extraction method of microplastics
Different extraction liquids were used to extract MPs from sedi-
ments but in order to recover all common plastic polymers and improve
the recovery rates, heavy salt solutions (denser than 1.45 g/ml) were
recommended and widely used recently (Cheang et al., 2018; Imhof
et al., 2012; Liebezeit et al., 2012; Mintenig et al., 2017). In the present
study ZnCl2 with specific density of 1.55 g/ml was used to extract MPs
from sediments. This was a successful method as in comparison with the
earlier studies, total numbers per m2 and average particle per kilogram
were higher than Naji et al. (2017b) (maximum 1258 items per kg);
Dobaradaran et al. (2018) (maximum 25423 items per kg) and refer-
ences therein. These differences could be explained by methodological
differences in extraction methods between their studies and ours. Wang

Table 2
Mean and standard deviation (shapes and colors) of MPs found in the study areas. 1: Khor-e-Yekshabeh, 2: Gorsozan and 3: Suru. Total number is shown per 78.5 cm2.
Stations Fragment Film Pellet Granule Filament Foam
1 16.00±17.05 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 14.33±2.52 0.00±0.00
Blue 2 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 1.00±1.00 0.00±0.00
3 0.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 1.33±1.52 0.00±0.00
1 2.33±1.53 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 52.00±16.09 0.00±0.00
Red 2 4.66±0.57 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 3.66±2.08 2.00±1.00 0.00±0.00
3 1.67±0.57 0.00±0.00 0.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 0.66±1.15 0.00±0.00
1 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
Transparent 2 8.33±7.50 2.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
3 1.33±0.57 0.33±0.58 0.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
1 0.66±1.15 0.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
Black 2 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
3 0.00±0.00 2.00±3.46 0.00±0.00 0.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
1 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.66±1.15 0.00±0.00
Green 2 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
3 0.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
1 4.66±4.16 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 202.66±39.72 0.00±0.00
White 2 0.00±0.00 0.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.33±0.58 4.00±2.65
3 0.00±0.00 2.33±4.04 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 129.00±15.13 0.00±0.00
1 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
Multicolor 2 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 1.33±2.31
3 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
1 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
Others 2 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 3.33±3.05
3 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00
1 23.66±163.16 0.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 0.00±0.00 269.66±55.43 0.00±0.00
Total 2 13±6.92 2.33±0.58 0.00±0.00 3.66±2.08 3.33±0.58 8.66±3.51
number
3 3.66±1.15 4.33±3.78 0.66±1.15 0.33±0.58 131.00±14.11 0.00±0.00

4
M. Yazdani Foshtomi, et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin 149 (2019) 110655

Table 3 sediments. However, different shapes of microplastics were found in

Heavy metals concentrations (Mean ± SD, n = 3) in sediments of sampling our contrasting stations suggesting different pollution sources. It is
stations. Different capital letters above the numbers (A > B > C) indicate sta- necessary to remind that microplastic particles especially colorful one
tistically significant results of pairwise test (p < 0.05). can be ingested as food item by marine organisms (Wright et al., 2013;
Khor-e-Yekshabeh Gorsozan Suru personal observation on marine nematodes). Ingested MPs can serve as
vectors for Heavy metals and PAHs, leading to their bioaccumulation in
−1 B C
Al (μg/g ) 245.62 ± 12.98 144.80 ± 5.10 442.18 ± 30.01A
marine food web (Ashton et al., 2010; Holmes et al., 2012; Avio et al.,
As (ng/g) 122.01 ± 8.03B 220.69 ± 10.95A 120.07 ± 9.12B
Cd (ng/g) 4.39 ± 0.42B 5.71 ± 0.41A 3.75 ± 0.06C
2015). As it is not possible to remove MPs particles from sediments, the
Co (ng/g) 291.32 ± 25.23B 159.11 ± 6.98C 416.74 ± 33.95A only way to reduce their abundance is to administrate regular cleanup
Cr (μg/g) 2.67 ± 0.44A 0.73 ± 0.15B 2.19 ± 0.12A programs (Dobaradaran et al., 2018).
Cu (μg/g) 0.28 ± 0.03B 0.17 ± 0.01C 0.50 ± 0.04A
Fe (μg/g) 249.03 ± 13.34B 133.82 ± 7.03C 381.51 ± 25.16A
Hg (ng/g) 9.18 ± 6.65A 97.54 ± 139.77A 5.08 ± 3.57A
4.2. Heavy metals, PAHs and TPH concentrations in sediments and their
Mn (μg/g) 12.25 ± 0.19B 6.92 ± 0.32C 14.70 ± 0.46A relationship with MPs
Ni (μg/g) 0.82 ± 0.05B 0.40 ± 0.01C 1.57 ± 0.12A
Pb (ng/g) 138.72 ± 9.54B 178.11 ± 11.01A 152.98 ± 8.17B In the present study, spatial distributions of thirteen heavy metals
Ti (μg/g) 20.28 ± 1.86A 3.37 ± 0.36B 22.75 ± 0.86A
(Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti and Zn) in surface in-
Zn (μg/g) 0.65 ± 0.06B 0.23 ± 0.03C 0.97 ± 0.06A
tertidal sediments were studied in three different stations.
Concentrations of heavy metals in the sediments varied among stations,
Table 4 indicating different sources heavy metal pollution. The highest con-
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Mean ± SD, n = 3) in sediments of the centrations of Arsenic (As) and Lead (Pb) were recorded in Gorsozan
sampling stations. Different capital letters above the numbers (A > B > C) in- while there were not differences between the other stations. In contrast,
dicate statistically significant results of pairwise test (p < 0.05). other heavy metals showed highest concentration in Sure and the
lowest were in Gorsozan. The study of heavy metals in intertidal sedi-
Khor-e-Yekshabeh Gorsozan Suru
ments is important as sediments serve as habitat for many benthic or-
A AB
Naphthalene (ppb) 108.77 ± 14.31 66.48 ± 29.50 70.23 ± 7.10B ganisms and heavy metal can be accumulate in their bodies (e.g. Saeedi
Bephenyl(IS) (ppb) 2.28 ± 3.03A 0.56 ± 0.18A 0.45 ± 0.11A et al., 2012). In our study areas, human activities are the major source
Acenaphten (ppb) 2.11 ± 0.13A 1.14 ± 0.31AB 1.16 ± 0.22B
of heavy metal contaminations in the sediment (Bastami et al., 2015;
Florene (ppb) 0.34 ± 0.59A 0.66 ± 0.57A 0.40 ± 0.43A
Phenanthrene (ppb) 1.05 ± 0.51A 1.43 ± 0.76A 1.06 ± 0.47A Naji et al., 2015; Saeedi et al., 2012). Depending on the local topo-
Fluorantene (ppb) 0.20 ± 0.35A 0.52 ± 0.90A 0.33 ± 0.58A graphy, inputs of the sewages, water circulation, coastal currents and
Pyrene (ppb) 1.36 ± 0.25A 1.70 ± 1.00A 1.25 ± 0.26A even seasonally, concentration of heavy metals in sediments would be
Benzo(a)ant (ppb) 0.00 ± 0.00A 0.44 ± 0.43A 0.28 ± 0.33A different (Agah et al., 2012; Bastami et al., 2015; Naji et al., 2015;
Benzo[b] 0.00 ± 0.00A 0.49 ± 0.49A 0.35 ± 0.48A
fluoranthene
Saeedi et al., 2012). All these studies did not measure concentration of
(ppb) the whole heavy metals which reported in our study. In comparison
Benzo[a] pyrene 0.00 ± 0.00A 0.34 ± 0.44A 0.02 ± 0.03A with the mentioned studies in Bandar Abbas and other region of the
(ppb) Persian Gulf, the concentration of certain heavy metals in the present
Total PAH (ppb) 116.10 ± 14.68A 73.80 ± 33.39AB 75.50 ± 6.04B
study were sometimes lower or higher than their results (Agah et al.,
Total TPH (ppm) 50.49 ± 24.77A 58.53 ± 9.28A 56.56 ± 55.30A
2012; Bastami et al., 2015; Dobaradaran et al., 2018; Naji et al., 2015;
Saeedi et al., 2012). For instance, the mean concentrations of As, Cd,
et al. (2017) indicated that using NaCl (specific density 1.20 g/ml) as Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in sediment which was reported by
extraction liquid led to underestimating the concentrations of micro- Saeedi et al. (2012) were near the ones recorded at our eastern station
plastics in sediment because some types of MPs, e.g. PVC, could not be were 7.00, < 0.5, 15.00, 49.00, 8.00, 13600.00, 509.00, 46.00, 7.00
floated up with this specific density (Claessens et al., 2013; Yu et al., and 22.00 μg/g−1, respectively while in our study the mean con-
2016). Naji et al. (2017b) in the first step and Dobaradaran et al. (2018) centrations were 122.01, 4.39, 291.32, 2.67, 0.28, 249.03, 0.82 and
in the whole extraction process used NaCl (specific density 1.20 g/ml) 0.65 μg/g−1, respectively. However, in our case any possible relation-
while using ZnCl2 (specific density 1.55 g/ml) in the present study ship between total number of MPs (per m2) and heavy metal con-
probably increased the flotation potential of MPs and consequently led tamination in sediment is more important aspect than their spatial
to notably higher number of MPs in our samples. Although types of distribution. In order to predict the heavy metal pollution, a com-
polymers were not analyzed in the present study, polyethylene (PE), parative study was performed with sediment quality guidelines (SQGs).
nylon, and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) were dominant polymers Contents of all elements in all sampling sites were lower than the cor-
in the study areas (Naji et al., 2017b, 2018). In general, filaments (fi- responding values of effect range low (ERL), effect range median
bers) were the most abundant MPs which are in agreement with the (ERM), probable effect level (PEL) and Interim sediment quality
previous studies (Naji et al., 2017b, 2018) which can be due to intense guideline (ISQG).
fishing and shipping activities in the study areas. Occurrence of MPs in According to Hakanson (1980), the potential ecological risk of
every replicates indicates long-term accumulation of microplastics in coastal sediments posed by heavy metals can be classified into the
following categories:

Table 5
Spearman correlation among total number of MPs (per m2), sediment grain size, heavy metals, PAHs and TPH concentrations in sediments.
Sand (%) Clay (%) Al (μg/g) As (ng/g) Cd (ng/g) Co (ng/g) Cu (μg/g)

Total number per m2 −0.783a 0.750a 0.850b −0.733a −0.950b 0.833b 0.845b
Fe (μg/g) Ni (μg/g) Mn (μg/g) Ti (μg/g) Zn (μg/g) Benzo(a)ant (ppb)

Total number per m2 0.917b 0.870b 0.929b 0.850b 0.917b −0.749a

a
Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level.
b
Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level.

5
M. Yazdani Foshtomi, et al.
Low risk: E < 40, PER < 150.
Moderate risk: 40 ≤ E < 80, 150 ≤ PER < 300.
Considerable risk: 80 ≤ E < 160, 300 ≤ PER < 600.
High risk: 160 ≤ E < 320, PER ≥600.
Very high risk: E ≥ 320.
The average ecological risk of E value for all heavy metals at most
surface sediments were less than 40, indicating a low risk to local
ecosystem.
Plastics debris is now considered a global threat in marine en-
vironment from intertidal (e.g. Naji et al., 2017b) to deep sea (e.g.
Courtene-Jones et al., 2017) ecosystem. Interaction and relationship
between plastics debris (MPs) and heavy metals is poorly understood
(Carlos de Sá et al., 2018; Brennecke et al., 2016). These possible re-
lationships in marine intertidal sediments (Dobaradaran et al., 2018)
and river littoral zone (Wang et al., 2017) have been recently studied.
In the first study, metal concentrations in sediment were higher than
those in microplastic fragments while in the second study were vice
versa. The contrasting results mentioned above might be caused by
different in the ecosystems and local pollution concentrations. We did
not measure heavy metal concentration in microplastic fragments and
in sediments separately, but our results showed a strong significant
correlation between total number of MPs (per m2) and ten heavy metal
concentrations in sediments. The presence of heavy metals in MPs from
inherent load (e.g. Wang et al., 2017) or accumulation from the sur-
rounding environment (e.g. Brennecke et al., 2016; Holmes et al., 2012,
2014) emphasis on the fact that MPs can play a key role as vectors for
heavy metal ions in marine ecosystems (Brennecke et al., 2016). Due to
ingestion potential of MPs by marine animals (e.g. Naji et al., 2018;
Wright et al., 2013; Yazdani personal observation on marine nema-
todes), bioaccumulation ability in marine food web (Karami et al.,
2017) and transfer of heavy metals (Wang et al., 2017), further studies
are needed in order to better understand the relationship between MPs
in the sediment and heavy metals bioaccumulation.
Spatial distributions of ten Polynuclear Aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs; Naphthalene, Bephenyl(IS), Acenaphten, Florene,
Phenanthrene, Fluorantene, Pyrene, Benzo(a)ant, Benzo[b] fluor-
anthene, Benzo[a] pyrene, total PAHs and total TPH in surface inter-
tidal sediments were studied in three contrasting stations (Abdolahpur
Monikh et al., 2014; Adeniji et al., 2017; Azimi et al., 2018). Significant
differences were obtained in concentration of Naphthalene, Acenaphten
and total PAHs among stations so that concentrations were markedly
higher in Khor-e-Yekshabeh as compared with Suru. Neither total TPH
nor the other PAHs were significantly differed among stations.
PAHs are a group of chemicals consisting of numerous carbon atoms
joined together to form multiple rings. PAHs are formed mainly as a
result of natural (forest fires) or man-made practices or industrial
processes such as processing of coal and crude oil, combustion of nat-
ural gas, including for heating, combustion of refuse, vehicle traffic,
cooking and tobacco smoking (Yunker et al., 2002; Oros and Ross,
2004). Among several components, sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydro-
carbons have been listed as priority pollutants in the environment, due
to their high toxicity for living organisms (USEPA, 1980). As a con-
sequence of human activity, the release of PAHs into the environment
has increased over the last few decades (Cousin and Cachot, 2014).
According to Baumard et al. (1998), ΣPAHs levels in sediments was
categorized to four classes: 0–100, 100–1000, 1000–5000 and >
5000 ng/g as low, medium, high and very high pollution levels, re-
spectively (Baumard et al., 1998). According to this classification, se-
diments of the sampling area were in the range of low to medium
pollution level.
PAHs levels in sediment were assessed for possible hazards to
marine benthic community by using the compared effects-based sedi-
ment guideline values, such as effects range low (ERL), that was cal-
culated as the lower 10th percentile of effects concentrations and the
effect range-median (ERM) as the 50th percentile of effects
6
Marine Pollution Bulletin 149 (2019) 110655
concentrations (Long et al., 1995). The detected PAH compounds in the
sediments of the sampling area were much lower than those ERL values
and thus there was no pollution risk for these compounds.
PAHs have been reported in coastal sediment over the world,
however, the determination of PAH sources in marine environment
seem to be difficult (Neff, 1979). Different studies indicated PAHs in
coastal sediments and marine organisms in the Persian Gulf and Strait
of Hormuz with different concentration and reported various pre-
dominant compounds (e.g. Abdolahpur Monikh et al., 2014; Bastami
et al., 2013; Keshavarzifard et al., 2017). In the present study, Naph-
thalene was the predominant component in all stations but our results
showed a strong significant positive correlation between total number
of MPs (per m2) and Benzo(a)ant concentrations in sediments. To the
best of our knowledge, for the first time Kalogerakis et al., 2014 in-
vestigated the concentrations of PCBs and PAHs on plastic pellets and
Microplastics collected on the coastline of crete. They mentioned that
Naphthalene was the predominant component as well as hydrophobic
pollutants such as (PAHs) which can be absorbed to plastic pellets from
the surrounding seawater with concentration factors of up to 106. This
emphasis on the fact that MPs can serve as vectors for PAHs in marine
ecosystems (Brennecke et al., 2016). Aquatic organisms may accumu-
late PAHs from water, sediments and food (Abdolahpur Monikh et al.,
2014; Bastami et al., 2013; Keshavarzifard et al., 2017). Ingested col-
orful MPs especially by nonselective deposit feeder animals may play an
important role in the PAHs bioaccumulation in benthic food web which
merits further researches.
Different literatures reported the concentration of heavy metals and
PAHs in marine sediments and their toxicity to marine organisms
(Ashton et al., 2010; Holmes et al., 2012; Avio et al., 2015). The present
study has not been carried out for these purposes but to find any pos-
sible relationship among MPs with the concentrations of heavy metals
and PAHs in intertidal sediments. In conclusion, our results showed a
strong significant correlation between total number of MPs (per m2),
ten heavy metal concentrations and Benzo(a)ant concentrations in se-
diments. The presence of heavy metals in MPs from inherent load or
accumulate from the surrounding environment may potentially in-
troduce serious risks to aquatic organisms and cause bioaccumulation
in the food chain and as a final consumer in the human body. As human
activities is the main source of microplastics in our study areas (Naji
et al., 2017b; Sarafraz et al., 2016), regular coastal cleanup and public
education are the only way to reduce MPs entrance to coastal ecosys-
tems.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influ-
ence the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by Iran's National Elites Foundation
(11/90211). We are very grateful to Dr Maziar Khosravi, Dr Samad
Hamzei and Dr Mohamad Ali Hamzeh for their assistance. We thank the
anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that improved
the quality of the manuscript.
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