SURFACE WATER POLLUTION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA BY …€¦ · SURFACE WATER POLLUTION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA BY NEW DAMIETTA HARBOR, NILE DELTA, EGYPT Rasha El Gohary1, Müfit

British Journal of Environmental Sciences

Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018

___Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)

20 ISSN 2054-6351 (print), ISSN 2054-636X (online)

SURFACE WATER POLLUTION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA BY NEW

DAMIETTA HARBOR, NILE DELTA, EGYPT

Rasha El Gohary1, Müfit Bahadir2

1Associate Professor, Central Laboratory for Environmental Quality Monitoring, National

Water Research Center, NWRC, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Professor emeritus, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Environmental and

Sustainable Chemistry, Hagenring 30, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany

ABSTRACT: The Damietta Harbor is situated near the eastern branch of the River Nile

estuary, 250 km east of Alexandria. Marine eutrophication is mainly an inshore problem that

affects lagoons, harbors, estuaries and coastal areas adjacent to river mouths. Although the

main body of the Mediterranean Sea as a whole is not yet seriously threatened by

eutrophication, areas of pronounced eutrophication are expanding in the Mediterranean. The

main objective of the study is to characterize water, soil and sediment that will be dredged to

determine their suitability for placement in either upland, an offshore disposal site, or at an

existing beach for re-nourishment, and to observe the effect of the harbor on surface water

pollution of the Mediterranean Sea. The dredging operations in Damietta Port sediment, soil

and water investigations were conducted to understand the possible disposal or re-use

considerations. The following samples were investigated:

• Offshore stations representing existing, proposed and reference stations,

• Sediment cores within the port and approach channel,

• Sediment grabs within the port and approach channel, and

• Soil borings from terminal basin.

Also, the water quality of different basins inside the harbor and in the marine waters at the

mouth of the harbor was investigated. Water samples were analyzed for parameters indicating

the chemical and biological quality of the harbor environment. In general, the water, soil, and

sediment quality in the study area were within the permissible levels for physical-chemical

parameters of marine water, although some metals were considerably higher than the

background levels. In total, the off shore qualities were within the limits in all locations that

are not hazardous to the Mediterranean Sea environment.

KEYWORDS: Mediterranean Sea Pollution, Water Quality, Environmental Analysis,

Dredging Damietta Harbor.

INTRODUCTION

The state of the open waters in the Mediterranean Sea is considered to be generally good. In

coastal areas, the presence of pollution hotspots, located in semi-enclosed bays, near important

harbors, large cities and industrial areas, is probably the major problem. Waters in the open

sea are classified among the poorest of the world in terms of nutrients. Marine ecosystem still

seems to function well. Current threats such as localized eutrophication, heavy metals,

organic and microbial pollution, oil spills, introducing non-indigenous species are mainly the

results of pressures from anthropogenic activities. Hence, more attention to their management

control is needed. Land-based activities such as urbanization, industry, and agriculture

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Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



represent the main source of pollution of the Mediterranean Sea. In case of urban and

industrialized pollution, the main problem is the rapid population growth where only few legal

and economic instruments are applied and inadequate environmental infrastructure investment

still customary.

Egypt's Mediterranean coastline occupies the south-eastern corner of the Mediterranean Basin.

Along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, there are eight coastal governorates. These are from

west to east Matruh, Alexandria, Behaira, Kafr El-Sheikh, Damietta, Daqahliya, Port Said, and

North Sinai. The maritime transport in the eastern Mediterranean, including oil tankers,

commercial and passenger ships, affect the coast to a large extent. The entire beaches are

frequently polluted by oil lumps, litter and plastic debris; even in remote areas of the coast,

where there are no related activities. Table (1) summarizes and ranks the activities

corresponding to the coastal governorates.

Table (1): Summary and ranking of activities corresponding to the coastal

governorates

Tourism &

Recreation

Industry &

Energy

Ports &

Constructions

Fisheries Agriculture

Matruh 1 3 1 2 3

Alexandria 1 1 1 2 2

Beheira 3 1 3 1 1

Kafr El

Sheikh

3 3 3 1 1

Damietta 3 2 1 1 2

Dakahleya 2 3 2 1 1

Port Said 2 2 2 2 3

North Sinai 2 3 2 2 3

1: High 2: Moderate 3: Low

Table (2): Ranking of contaminants corresponding to the coastal governorates

Liquid

wastes

Solid

Wastes

Air

Pollution

H. Metals ,

Org.

Pollution

Nutrients &

Eutrophication

Matruh 3 2 3 3 3

Alexandria 1 1 1 1 1

Beheira 1 2 1 1 1

Kafr El

Sheikh

2 1 2 2 2

Damietta 2 2 2 2 1

Dakahleya 2 2 1 1 1

Port Said 2 2 2 2 2

North

Sinai

3 3 3 3 3

1: High 2: Moderate 3: Low



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



Therefore, it is important to monitor the impacts of ports as they are important sources of

pollution of the Mediterranean Sea. The study area is Damietta Harbor that was constructed in

1982 and is located about 9.7 km west of the Damietta Nile. The harbor basin was dredged

inland and is located in the Damietta governorate on a narrow strip of land between the Nile

and Lake Manzala. It is 210 km northeast of Cairo and 15 km from the Mediterranean with

geographical coordinates as Latitude: 31°26' N and Longitude: 31°48' E. The Governorate is

bounded by the Mediterranean to the north, by the Manzala Lake to the east and by the

Daqahlia Governorate to south and west.

Dredging in port areas is usually necessary for nautical reasons (“maintenance dredging”). This

kind of dredging is a given fact for port authorities, usually public bodies organizing and

funding the dredging activity. The question concerning here is whether this sediment will have

an impact on the sea pollution in the future because of European legislation in the field of water

quality management, sustainable use of the seas and oceans (1), nature conservation (2), and

other relevant regulations (3), thus for environmental purposes (also called clean up dredging).

As this concerns sediment of poor or bad quality, the economic impact of it can be considerably.

Dredged sediment, which cannot be dumped into the sea or surface water, is a waste and thus

should be treated in compliance with the Waste Directive.

Therefore, the objective of the study was to characterize water, soil and sediment that will be

dredged in future in order to determine their suitability for placement in either upland, an

offshore disposal site, or at an existing beach for re-nourishment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sampling Strategy and Locations

According to the planned dredging operations in Damietta Port, water, sediment and soil

investigations were conducted in order to understand the possible disposal or re-use

considerations. According to field sampling plan for Damietta port terminal project, the

following samples were collected:

• Sixteen offshore stations representing existing, proposed and reference stations,

• Six sediment cores within the port and approach channel,

• Ten sediment grabs within the port and approach channel, and

• Three soil borings from the proposed terminal basin.

In order to monitor the water quality of different basins inside the harbor and the marine waters

at the mouth of the harbor four stations were selected representing the harbor properly, three

stations were added to cover the open water just outside the harbors, and an additional station

(station five) was selected at the basin situated in the internal canal, which joins the Damietta

Branch of the Nile River to the harbor. In total, eight sampling stations were investigated in the

course of this study. Water samples were analyzed for parameters indicating the chemical and

biological quality of the harbor environment.

The purpose of the offshore sampling stations was to study the existing and the proposed

dumping sites relative to the surrounding reference stations. The purpose of the sediment cores



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



was to characterize the material down to the full project depth and to delineate any vertical

changes in composition. The purpose of the grabs was to better define horizontal changes in

surficial sediment composition and to provide large volume samples for toxicity and

bioaccumulation bioassays.

The sampling locations are provided in Figure 1 (Core Stations), Figure 2 (Grab Stations) and

Figure 3 (Offshore Stations).

Figure (1) Core sampling locations inside Damietta Port

Figure (2) Grab sampling locations inside Damietta Port



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



Figure (3): Offshore water sampling location plus the rest of Core and Grab sampling

location

All equipment designated to support the sampling activities at Damietta Port were pre-checked

by the Field Task Leader and the Survey Task Leader during mobilization efforts. This

inspection included handling system on-board, the sampling vessel that will be used to

deploy/recover gravity core and grab sampler, all sampling equipment (including gravity core

and grab sampler), and navigational system.

Field Samples for Quality Control and Collection Frequency

Data precision and accuracy evaluations were based on blank measurements of equipment

rinsings, field and laboratory duplicates, and matrix spiking exercises. These quality control

(QC) samples were collected at following frequencies:

• One field duplicate for every 20 samples,

• One matrix spike sample and matrix spike duplicate per 20 samples, and

• One equipment rinsate blank for every 20 samples.

The equipment rinsing blank were collected from the soil sampling equipment by rinsing field

gear with deionized (DI) water after decontamination and before subsampling commences. The

remaining QC samples were taken during the sample collection and homogenization processes

performed in the laboratory and are described in the QAPP.

At each station the following activities were made: recording of start and end of sampling time,

the station number, and the sea conditions. Transparency of the water was measured by

lowering a Secchi disc from the lighted side of the vessel and recording its reading. A 5-liter

water sample was collected by lowering a Neskin bottle (5 L capacity) at -5 m to collect water

samples. The temperature and pH were measured in situ using the multisensory Horiba. The

DO was determined using Winkler technique.

370000 375000 380000 385000 390000 395000 400000 405000 410000

3480000

3485000

3490000

3495000

3500000

3505000

R-S1

R-S2

R-S3

R-S4 R-S5

R-S6

R-S7

R-S8E-S1E-S2

E-S3E-S4

P-S1P-S2

P-S3

P-S4

G8

G9

G10

C6



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



Figure (4): Lowering of CTD and plankton nets

The Grab sampler was used to collect sediment samples. Lowering sediment garbs were made

twice and three times in order gain sufficient sample volumes. Redox Potential Discontinuity

(RPD) layer was measured using plastic scale rule to scrap back surficial sediment and

measuring the depth of visual transition. The sample jar for the acid volatile sulfide and

simutaneoulsy extracted metals (AVS/SEM) sample was filled without an empty head space

by sediments from the top 2 centimeters of the grab sample. The remaining sediments in the

grab sampler were homogenized and collected using stainless utensils. Finally, plankton nets

were lowered vertically and then towed horizontally at the lowest vessel speed to collect

plankton samples. Plankton was collected using a net sampler. Net samples were taken by

hauling a phytoplankton net 25 m, 25 cm in diameter and 1 m in length. A 1 liter of subsurface

water for quantitative plankton assessment was collected. Zooplankton samples were collected

using a net of blotting silk having 50 m and 45 cm mouth diameter. The net samples were

preserved in 5% formalin for later investigation in the laboratory. Samples were kept on ice for

later examination in the laboratory. All grab and water samples were placed in the ice boxes

filled with crushed ice. Quality control samplings were collected at the end of sampling as

follows: one field duplicate, one equipment rinsate blank and one matrix spike sample and

matrix spike duplicate. Water samples were filtered during night using filtration system and

pre-weighed membrane filter papers. Other sediment samples were placed in ice boxes, which

were filled with newly bought crushed ice to keep the samples frozen.

Sediment core samples were collected using a piston–gravity core (Fig. 5) to a penetration

depth of -3 m in the port (C1 through C5) and in the approach channel (C6). Cores were cut in

the field into six required depth intervals: 0 to - 0.25 m, -0.25 to -0.5 m, -0.5 to -1.0 m, -1.0 to

-1.5 m, -1.5 to -2.0 m, and -2.0 to -3.0 m. The sediment core intervals were placed in ice boxes

filled with ice till reaching the lab.

Figure (5): Gravity-Piston core sampler



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



Water Quality Analyses

Water quality analyses were carried out after standard methods (ISO ,2006) in terms of (i)

Hydrographic parameters (water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, total suspended

matter, and pH), (ii) Eutrophication parameters (nitrite, nitrate, dissolved inorganic

phosphorus, total nitrogen, and total phosphorous), and (iii) Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons

(TPH).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Hydrographic Parameters of Damietta Harbor

Water Temperature: The surface water temperature in Damietta Harbor (DH) during the study

was in a very narrow range. Figure 6 shows the locations of sampling stations. The minimum

surface water temperature was found at the station 6 (28.8 °C), representing the middle section

of the harbor, while the maximum temperature was found at the station 5 (29.5 °C). Surface

water temperatures averaged during the present work to 29.2 °C. Generally, in natural water

bodies, water temperature is subject to great variation due to several factors, e.g., air

temperature, latitude, sun altitude, season, wind, depth, confinement of the water body, waves,

and gain or loss of heat, particularly in shallow water loss to land (La Fond, 1962). Temperature

influences the rate of photosynthesis by aquatic plants due to the varying oxygen levels with

varying temperature, the metabolic rates of aquatic organisms, and the sensitivity of organisms

to toxic wastes, parasites and diseases. Figure 7 shows the spatial distribution of surface water

temperature (°C) at different stations.

Figure 6: Locations of sampling stations

Station 2 Station 3

Station 4

Station 6

Station 5

Station 7

Station 8

Station 1



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



Figure 7: Spatial distribution of surface water temperature (°C) at different stations

Salinity (S‰): The results of salinity measurements of surface waters of DH during the present

work are presented in Figure 8. Likewise the temperature distribution, salinity results ranged

in a very narrow range. Minimum salinity was recorded at the station 5 (37.2 ‰), while the

maximum value was found at the station 7 (39.4 ‰). The average salinity value calculated

during the present work attained 38.4 ‰, which also represents the salinity of the

Mediterranean surface water. In fact, these apparently minor variations might be misleading,

where minor variations in salinity indicate different density, different water masses, and water

movements.

Spatial distribution of salinity in DH clearly shows these water movements, where there is an

obvious mixing of fresh water entering the harbor via the internal canal, indicated by the

minimum salinity recorded at station 5. The isohaline contour map shows (likewise temperature

distribution) the effect of this mixing at the station 4 at the mouth of the internal canal in the

middle of the harbor; increased salinities were noticed extending from station 4 to all directions.

Stations 1, 2 and 3 represent the marine environment just outside the harbor. These stations

indicate the effect of the internal drain on the entrance of the harbor; the western station (1)

beyond the left-hand jetty indicate the more saline Mediterranean water directed with the long

shore current from the west, and mixing with the less saline water at the entrance of the harbor,

in which the salinity decrease reached a minimum in the eastward direction (station 3).

The southern part of the harbor (represented by the stations 6, 7 and 8) was characterized by

higher salinities, again affected by stagnation and higher evaporation at the southern basins.

The seawater salinity of the investigated area is affected by various factors, such as the

discharge of drainage water, high accelerated evaporation during summer season, and the

rain water during winter in the area.



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



Figure 8: Spatial distribution of surface water salinity (‰) at different stations.

Hydrogen ion concentration (pH): During the present work, the pH ranged from a minimum

of 8.47 at station 6 and a maximum of 8.75 at station 5. Although the pH range in marine

waters is about 7.5 - 8.4, the pH values in the present work were slightly higher than the

upper limit. This higher pH might be due to the high level of photosynthesis in the harbor. It

was found that statistical positive correlation exists between pH and chlorophyll-a biomass

(Aboul-Kassim, 1987), indicating that the pH of the environment could be used as a good

indicator for its production level. Primary production does not result directly from an

elevation of pH, but from a higher level of photosynthesis that increases the pH.

PH influences many chemical and biological processes in water. For example, different

organisms flourish at different pH ranges. The distribution of pH at different stations of the

study area is shown in Figure 9. The pH values during the study varied between 8.05 and

8.16. These values of the existing stations might be related to the high organic load and TSS

due to dumping of dredged material in the study area.

Figure 9: Spatial distribution of surface water pH at different stations.



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



The hydrographical parameters in the surface water of the Damietta Harbor are given in

Table 3.

Table 3: Hydrographical parameters in surface water of the Damietta Harbor

Station

No.

DO TSM

(mg/L)

Salinity

(‰)

pH Temp (°C)

(mg/L) %

Sat.

1 5.68 114 36 39.1 8.68 29.2

2 5.82 116 33.4 38.0 8.49 28.9

3 6.10 128 27 37.3 8.52 29.4

4 6.53 135 27.6 37.9 8.48 29.3

5 6.81 143 23.4 37.2 8.75 29.5

6 6.81 133 29.2 39.0 8.47 28.8

7 8.23 158 31.2 39.4 8.63 29.0

8 7.24 146 24.8 39.1 8.68 29.2

Minimum 5.68 114 23.4 37.2 8.47 28.8

Maximum 8.23 158 36 39.4 8.75 29.5

Average 6.65 134 29.1 38.4 8.59 29.2

DO: Dissolved Oxygen, % Sat.: Percentage of Oxygen Saturation, TSM: Total Suspended

Matter

Total Suspended Matter (TSM) concentrations during the present work averaged to 29.1

mg/L, ranging from 23.4 mg/L at station 5 to 36.0 mg/L at station 1.

Figure 10: Spatial distribution of total suspended matter (mg/L) in surface water at

different stations



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



The Eutrophication Parameters of the Damietta Harbor

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are the most significant micronutrients studied in aquatic

ecosystems. There, they are distributed between the water and sediment interface in both

dissolved and particulate forms. Bio-available nutrients are taken up and metabolized by

aquatic organisms in their life cycle (Murdoch et al., 1998). The bio-available species of

nitrogen often occur in dissolved forms in sea water (nitrate, nitrite and ammonium).

Accumulation of nutrients in water and sediment can result in eutrophication, which is often

accompanied by the depletion of oxygen in water and the decrease of biodiversity in the

affected water body (Vollenweider, 1968; Sutcliffe and Jones, 1992). Organic matter produced

by phytoplankton in eutrophic shallow lakes settles to the sediment and decomposes by aerobic

and anaerobic processes, during which different carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds

are produced (Jensen and Anderson, 1992).

Nitrate (NO3-): From the obtained data, it is obvious that the nitrate values in the surface water

were low (ranging from 0.12 mg/L at station 7 to 15.03 mg/L at station 3). This might be

attributed to the increase of nitrate uptake by the blooming phytoplankton developed in the

area during the warm seasons (Zentara and Kamykowski, 1977). The average of nitrate

concentration in surface waters during the present work attained 5.58 mg/L. It is obvious that

areas suffering from high photosynthetic activities (the southern part of the harbor) are

accompanied by low concentration of the bioavailable nutrient salts, and vice versa. According

to the spatial distribution of nitrate, illustrated in Figure 11, the contour map indicated the

presence of high concentration patch just outside the harbor; the concentration was decreased

gradually in the southward direction, reaching a minimum at the south most zones of the

harbor. The correlation analysis indicated a negative correlation of nitrate to DO, which also

reflects the exhaustion of nitrate due to the high photosynthesis rate and thereby production of

DO.

Figure 11: Spatial distribution of nitrate (mg/L) in surface water at different stations

Nitrite (NO2-): Very low nitrite concentrations were found during the study, ranging from a

minimum of 0.045 mg/L at station 7 to a maximum of 1.23 mg/L at station 1. The average

value was found to be 0.362 mg/L. However, it is customary to obtain such nitrite values in



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



the marine environment, since nitrite exists in a moderate oxidizing state, where it is converted

to ammonium under reducing conditions, and into nitrate under oxidizing ones. Nitrite seems

to be assimilated in a similar rate as nitrate (Figure 12) with a similar correlation with DO.

Likewise nitrate distribution, the nitrite concentration decreased in the southward direction,

reaching a minimum at the south most zones of the harbor. In addition to its negative

correlation with DO, nitrite is directly correlated with nitrate and TSM concentrations.

Figure 12: Spatial distribution of nitrite (mg/L) in surface water at different stations.

Total Nitrogen (TN): The minimum TN contents of surface waters were detected at the station

5 (48.6 mg/L), while the maximum concentration was found at the station 1 (187 mg/L) with

an average concentration of 89.7 mg/L. Although the concentration of dissolved inorganic

nitrogen (nitrite and nitrate) during the present work constituted only a minor fraction of TN,

these forms were found exerting an influence on the spatial distribution of TN. By reviewing

the data, illustrated in Figure 13, the maximum concentrations of TN were always present in

surface waters belonging to the stations located outside the harbor. This pattern was reflected

by the previously discussed dissolved inorganic forms of N with high concentration patches in

the same area. There was a decrease of TN as directing in the southward direction till the

southern end of the harbor.

According to the obtained results from the correlation analysis, TN was found in direct

significant correlation with the nitrate concentrations, while a poor correlation was obtained

with nitrite. Accordingly, nitrate might be always representing an almost fixed fraction of TN.

Indeed, there was a similarity in the spatial distribution of TN and nitrate, represented by the

presence of a high concentration patch on the northwest part of the contour map. The positive

significant correlation of TN with TSM might suggest the dominance of the nitrogenous nature

in the suspended particles.



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



Figure 13: Spatial distribution of total nitrogen (mg/L) in surface water at different

stations

Total Phosphorous (TP): Total phosphorous during the present work ranged from a minimum

of 1.23 mg/L at the station 4 to a maximum of 11.8 mg/L at the station 7. The average

concentration attained at 5.07 mg/l (Figure 14). These results might indicate that TP can be

considered biologically inert.

Figure 14: Spatial distribution of total phosphorous (mg/L) at surface water at different

stations

High TP concentrations were recognized in the northwest part of the study area in open waters,

and found decreases in both directions to the east and south, reaching a minimum at the center

of the harbor. The concentration was found to increase again reaching a maximum in the south

most basins of the harbor. TP was found in significant positive correlation for each of DO,

salinity and pH, while a significant negative correlation with nitrate was established.

Reactive Phosphorous (dissolved inorganic phosphorous, DIP): The natural abundance of

nutrients is in the order of carbon > nitrogen > phosphorus. Due to this sequence, phosphorus



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



is often considered to be the limiting nutrient in the ecological cycle. In the marine

environment, phosphorus is one of the nutrient elements and is essential for life. It is one of the

most important factors controlling the growth and reproduction of phytoplankton (Riley and

Chester, 1971). However, phosphorus causes eutrophication and might be considered as a

potential pollutant, when it is present in high concentrations in seawater.

The biologically available form of phosphorous is orthophosphate (PO43-), which can be

considered the vital form of phosphorous that limits the flora in the marine environment. In

the present work, very low concentration of DIP was detected, ranging from 0.02 mg/L at

station 3 to 0.09 mg/L at station 1. The average concentration of DIP during the present work

attained 0.052 mg/L (Figure15). This very low concentration indicates that phosphate is the

limiting factor that controls the phytoplankton activity in the study area.

Spatial distribution of DIP during the present work is shown in Figure 15. In this figure, the

high concentration of DIP was dominant at the northwest part of the map representing the

marine environment. These high values were found decreasing in the eastward and southward

directions, reaching a minimum at the southern parts of the harbor.

Figure15: Spatial distribution of dissolved inorganic phosphate (mg/L) in surface water

at different stations

Summary of the Water Quality at the Study Area

Table 4 summarizes the data for the different bio-limiting factors and compares them with the

permissible levels after Egyptian guidelines. It is obvious that the bio-limiting parameters are

very low compared with the limit values therein. One can clearly recognize from this table that

the water quality in the study area is within the permissible levels for the physical-chemical

parameters of marine water.



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



Table 4: Summary of physical-chemical parameters for marine waters

Paramete

r

DO

(mg/L)

TSM (mg/L) S‰ pH Temperature (ºC)

Damietta

Harbor

5.68 –

8.23

(6.65)

23.4 – 36.0

(29.1)

37.2 – 39.4

(38.4)

8.47 – 8.75

(8.59)

28.8 – 29.5

(29.2)

EEAA1 4 mg/L

at all time

60 mg/L ----- 6 - 9 ø 5 ºC above the

mean annual

Canada2 > 8.0

mg/L

max increase 25

mg/L from

background levels

for any short-term

(>24 h); ;max

increases 5 mg/L

for long term (>1

to 130 d)

< 10%

Fluctuation

7.0 – 8.7

and should not

vary by more

than 0.2 from

the natural pH

expected at

that time

Not to exceed ± 1

ºC

World

Bank/IF

C3

--------- 50 mg/L ------- 6 – 9 < 3 ºC increase

1. EEAA = Criteria and specifications for the parameters when discharged into marine

environments.

2. Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life, 1999, updated

2001.

3. World Bank: Pollution Prevention and Abatement Handbook, World Bank Group,

Effective July 1998.

CONCLUSIONS

From the outcomes of the study it is concluded that in general the water, sediment, and soil

quality in the study area were within the permissible levels for the physical-chemical

parameters of marine waters. However, these values exceed the limits inside the harbor for

some parameters especially through the dredging phase. The off-shore quality were within the

limits in all location for the physical-chemical parameters of marine water, sediment, and soil

that show New Demiatta harbor prevents the Mediterranean Sea from pollution especially

during dredging.

But, the Egyptian Law No. 4 from 1994 on the Environment does not include any provisions

with respect to regional and cadastral planning that aimed to introduce sustainable

development, to safeguard the environment and to prevent conflicts between different coastal

zone applications. This should be taken into account while reviewing the environmental laws

for an amendment.

Recommendations

The authors draw from this study the following measures to be taken in order to improve the

harbor and coastal quality of the Damietta Port and neighborhood:



Vol.6, No.3, pp. 20- 37, October 2018



1. Some state actions are recommended in terms of environmental monitoring and developing

a better National Land Use Plan in order to improve the water and habitat quality in the

neighborhood of the Nile Harbors and the Mediterranean Sea.

2. Regularly monitoring the following parameters:

Water quality in the basin and the open sea (DO, TSS, TP, Nitrate, BOD, and Chlorophyll)

should be monitored monthly in order to check, if it is within the acceptable limits of the

international standers.

Monitoring and management plan should also keep records of significant environmental

matters, including monitoring data, water quality, shoreline changes, accidents and

occupational illnesses, spills, fires, and other emergencies should be documented.

3. Encouraging solid waste sorting and separation at the origin (glass, plastics, cardboard and

paper, organic waste, and metals).

4. Reviewing, enforcing and implementing all legislation and regulations related to coastal

activities and their control.

5. Providing financial and technical support to all relevant governmental agencies such as the

Ministry of Tourism to facilitate compliance with the laws and regulations set by Egyptian

Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA).

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