Toxic metal (Pb, Cd and Hg) levels in the nearshore surface sediments from the European and Anotolian Shores of Bosphorus, Turkey

In this study, some toxic metal such as Pb, Cd and Hg analyzes have been done in the nearshore surface sediments. Sediment samples have been collected from five parts from the European and Anotolian Shores of the Bosphorus during 2003–2004. Total Pb, Cd and Hg contents vary between <0.01 μg g−1 and 238 μg g−1; <0.01 μg g−1 and 0.92 μg g−1; 0.001 μg g−1 and 0.45 μg g−1, respectively. Contamination Factor (CF) values of Pb and Cd range between 1 and 3 whilst CF values of Hg are lower than 1 in all the stations. It means that there are no Hg metal enrichment by natural or anthropogenic inputs contrary to moderately contamination for Pb and Cd metals throughout the Bosphorus sediments.