ECOPERSIA

ECOPERSIA

Short-Term Effects of Petroleum Pollutants on Heavy Metal Concentrations in Mangrove Mud Sediments in Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Navazollah Moradi 1
Ommolbanin Bazrafshan 2
1 Department of Natural Resources Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar-Abbas, Iran
2 Department of Natural Resources Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
10.48311/ecopersia.2026.121264.82914
Abstract
Aims: This study investigated the short-term effects of diesel and kerosene on heavy metal mobility in mangrove mud sediments (Bandar Abbas, Northern Persian Gulf) and identified element-specific responses under controlled conditions.
Materials & Methods: We contaminated homogenized sediments in a completely randomized design with diesel and kerosene (0 and 4% w/v) and incubated them for 10 days in triplicate (9 units). We extracted elements at a sediment-to-water ratio of 1:5 and measured soluble element concentrations using ICP-OES.
Findings: We classified the elements into three groups based on their response to the pollutants (P < 0.01). Group 1 (Vanadium, Lead, Nickel, and Chromium) showed a significant increase in concentration under both pollutants. Group 2 (Tin, Manganese, and Molybdenum) showed a significant decrease upon exposure to petroleum contamination. Group 3 (Tungsten and Copper) displayed divergent behavior, with concentrations decreasing in the presence of diesel and increasing upon exposure to kerosene. Principal component analysis confirmed the three-group classification, with the first two components explaining 99.6% of the total variance. The loading plot clearly separated Group 1 on the negative side of PC1 and Group 2 on the positive side, while PC2 separated Copper and Tungsten, confirming their distnct geochemical behavior.
Conclusion: petroleum contamination, even over the short term, alters heavy-metal dynamics in mangrove mud sediments depending on both element type and pollutant type. These findings underscore the necessity of differentiated metal monitoring and targeted management of petroleum contamination in sensitive coastal ecosystems.
Keywords
Aqueous Extract
Contamination
Hormozgan
HydroCarbon
Mangrove Ecosystems
Subjects
1. Long E.R., Macdonald D.D., Smith S.L., Calder F.D. Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environ. Manage. 1995; 19(1): 81-97. 
2. Nguyen B.T., Do D.D., Nguyen T.X., Nguyen V.N., Nguyen D.T.P., Nguyen M.H., Truong H.T.T., Dong H.P., Le A.H., Bach Q.V. Seasonal, spatial variation, and pollution sources of heavy metals in the sediment of the Saigon River, Vietnam. Environ. Pollut. 2020; 256: 113412. 
3. Raj K., Das A.P. Lead   pollution: Impact on environment and human health and approach for a sustainable solution. Environ. Chem. Ecotoxicol. 2023;5(1): 79-85. 
4. Bankole A.O., Ogunkeyede A.O., Agboro H., Ekhorutomwen P.A., Otuomagie O.I., Isimekhai K.A., Fadairo E.A., Isukuru E.J. Heavy metal levels and ecological risk in crude oil-contaminated soils from Okpare-Olomu, Niger Delta, Nigeria. J. Environ. Prot. 2024; 15(4):415-438. 
5. Nagajyoti P.C., Lee K.D., Sreekanth T.V.M. Heavy metals, occurrence and toxicity for plants: a review. Environ. Chem. Lett. 2010; 8(3):199-216. 
6. Wyszkowski M., Wyszkowska J., Borowik A. Contamination of soil with diesel oil, application of sewage sludge and content of macroelements in oats. Water Air Soil Poll. 2020; 231(11): 546. 
7. Alao J.O., Balarabe B., Ayejoto D.A., Abubakar F., Otorkpa O.J., Eze S.U. Evaluation of hydroCarbon and co-contaminants in groundwater and associated public health risks using electrical resistivity and hydrochemical data. Water Resour. Ind. 2025;34: 100319. 
8. Singh H., Kumar D., Soni V. Impact of Mercury  on photosynthetic performance of Lemna minor: a chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. Sci. Rep. 2023; 13(1): 12181. 
9. Nawadiogbu J.O., Ikelle I.I., Onwuka J.C., Ikeh O.A., Nwankwo N.V., Anarado I.L. Assessment of heavy metals in a soil contaminated by petroleum  hydroCarbons at Ebudu, Rivers State, Nigeria. Greener J. Environ . Manage. Public Saf. 2024; 12(1): 10-15. 
10. Sui X., Wang X., Li Y., Ji H. Remediation of petroleum contaminated soils with microbial and microbial combined methods: advances, mechanisms, and challenges. Sustainability. 2021; 13(16): 9267. 
11. Worthington T.A., Ermgassen P.S.E., Friess D.A., Krauss K.W., Lovelock C.E., Thorley J., Spalding M. A global biophysical typology of mangroves and its relevance for ecosystem structure and deforestation. Sci. Rep. 2020; 10(1): 14652. 
12. Das S.C., Thammineni P., Ashton E.C. Mangroves: a unique ecosystem and its significance. In: Das S.C., Pullaiah, Ashton E.C., eds. Mangroves: biodiversity, livelihoods and conservation. Springer, Cham. 2022: 3-11.
13. Ramesh A., Sajan A., Mobram M., Namitha L., Brijithlal N., Williams G.P. Unique adaptations and bioresources of mangrove ecosystems. Environ. Exp. Biol. 2024; 22(2): 71-78. 
14. Va’ezihir A., Mohammadzadeh Motlaq M., Bakhtiari S., Nematollahi R. Identification of LNAPL phase of oil contaminants in the aquifer Bandar Abbas oil refinery. J. Hum. Environ . 2021; 19(4): 141-158. (In Persian).
15. Habibi S., Behrouzi M., Nohegar A. Assessment of heavy metal pollution in the mangrove forest ecosystem on Qeshm Island. DEEJ. 2022; 11(35): 101-114. (In Persian). 
16. Moradi N., Bazrafshan O. Synergistic application of biochar and biofertilizer to restore soil structure and mitigate petroleum  hydroCarbons in Iranian coastal ecosystems. ECOPERSIA 2026;14(2):161-178. 
17. Shahzad A., Zahra A., Li H.Y., Qin M. Modern perspectives of heavy metals alleviation from oil-contaminated soil: a review. Ecotoxicol. Environ.Saf. 2024; 282: 116698. 
18. Taheri M, Motesharezadeh B, Zolfaghari A.A, Javadzarrin I. Phytoremediation modeling in soil contaminated by oil-hydroCarbon under salinity stress by eucalyptus (A comparative study). Comput. Electron. Agric. 2018; 150:162-169. 
19. Briggs, P.H. The determination of forty elements in geological and botanical samples by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, in Taggart, J.E., Jr., ed., Analytical methods for chemical analysis of geologic and other materials, 2002; U.S. Geological Survey: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-223, Chapter G, p. G1–G18. 
20. Boss C.B., Fredeen K.J. Concepts, instrumentation and techniques in inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. 3rd ed. Waltham (MA): PerkinElmer Inc.; 2004:125p. 
21. Sako A., Nimi M., Sawadogo S., Hema A.A.K. Occurrence, behaviour and environmental risk assessment of trace metals in stream sediments from southwestern Burkina Faso, West Africa. Environ.  Monit. Assess. 2021;193(3):133. https://doi.org/
22. Mouras N., Mathian M., Robin S.L., Lemonnier H. Influence of mangrove zonation on dissolved trace metal dynamics in soils. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2026; 231: 119926. 
23. Silva G.H.M.C., Araújo P.R.M., Vieira C.B., Araujo J.K.S., Junior V.S.S., Santos J.C.B., Schmidt M.P., Ying S.C., Biondi C.M. The role of soil organic matter quality and mineralogy controlling the highest Mercury  concentration of the Brazilian mangroves. Sci. Total Environ. 2025;975:168932. 
24. Opara O.G., Pavshintsev V.V. Ecological and Health Risk Assessment of Total petroleum  HydroCarbons and Metals in Water Samples from Bille Mangrove, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Environ. 2026;13(7):362. 
25. Alloway B.J. Heavy metals in soils: trace metals and metalloids in soils and their bioavailability. Springer. 2013; 614 pp. 
26. Bolan N., Kunhikrishnan A., Thangarajan J., Kumpiene J., Makino T., Kirkham M.B., Scheckel K. Remediation of heavy metal(loid)s contaminated soils to mobilize or to immobilize. J. Hazard. Mater. 2013; 266: 141-166. 
27. Totten G.E., Westbrook S.R. Fuels and lubricants handbook: technology, properties, performance, and tesTing. ASTM International. 2003:1900p. 
28. Speight J.G. The chemistry and technology of petroleum . 5th ed. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group; 2014. 943 pp. (Chemical industries; 137). ISBN 978-1-4398-7390-8. 
29. Vasudhevan P., Manikandan E., Jonathan M.P., Sivasankar P., Thangavel P. Pollution assessment and source apportionment of metals in paddy field of Salem, South India. Environ. Earth Sci. 2024; 81(6):184. 
30. Khamehchiyan M., Charkhabi A.H., Tajik M. Effects of crude oil contamination on geotechnical properties of clayey and sandy soils. Eng. Geol. 2007; 89(3-4):220-229. 
31. Borah G., Deka H. Crude oil-associated heavy metal (HM) contamination in agricultural land: understanding risk factors and changes in soil biological properties. Chemosphere. 2023; 310: 136890. 
32. Akbarian M., Moradi N. An evaluation of petroleum  mulch’s impact on heavy metal concentrations in coastal dunes of Eastern Hormozgan province, Iran. DEEJ. 2025; 13(45): 77-88. (In Persian). 
33. Bradl H.B. Adsorption of heavy metal ions on soils and soil constituents. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2004; 277(1): 1-18. 
34. Choi, J.S. Evaporation characteristics of oil and abundance ratio of hydroCarbon compounds at different temperatures. J. Korean Soc. Mar. Environ . Saf. 2021; 27(7): 1116-1123. 
35. Meyers, R. A. Handbook of petroleum  Refining Processes, 4th ed.; McGraw-Hill Education: New York, NY, USA, 2016; pp. 1–832. ISBN 978-0-07-185049-0. 
36. Nagelkerken I., Blaber S.J.M., Bouillon S., Green P., Haywood M., Kirton L.G., Meynecke J.O., Pawlik J., Penrose H.M., Sasekumar A., Somerfield P.J. The habitat function of mangroves for terrestrial and marine fauna: A review. Aquat. Bot. 2008; 89(2):155-185. 
37. Hu C., Ma Y., Liu Y., Wang J., Li B., Sun Y., Shui B. Trophodynamics and potential health risk assessment of heavy metals in the mangrove food web in Yanpu Bay, China. Sci. Total Environ . 2024;920:171028. 
38. Alavi A., Saadatmand M., Salari-Aliabadi M.A., Naji A., Esmaili Sari A., Bahramifar N. Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation in Fish from Strait of Hormuz: Implications for Human Health Risks and Seafood Safety. Int. J. Environ. Res. 2025;19(6): 253. 
39. Bibak M., Sattari M., Tahmasebi S., Kafaei R., Sorial G.A., Ramavandi  B. Trace and Major Elements Concentration in Fish and Associated Sediment-Seawater, Northern Shores of the Persian Gulf. Biol. Trace Elem. Res. 2021; 199(7):2717-2729.  
 

  • Receive Date 22 June 2026
  • Revise Date 25 September 2026
  • Accept Date 25 September 2026
  • First Publish Date 25 September 2026
  • Publish Date 01 August 2026