Mercury and methylmercury concentration in tar contaminated sediments along the coast of Qatar

One of the pollutants that impacts the coastal environment of Qatar is the vast expanse of oil residue, ‘tarmats’ deposited on its beaches. The current study aimed to gauge the concentration levels of total mercury (THg), methylmercury (CH3-Hg), and total sulfur (TS) in tarmat contaminated sediments and test their presence in select coastal species. Seven biota species under three classes (Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Crustacea) have been found on the tarmat of Ras Rakan and Umm-Tais islands. Layers of hard asphalt-like tarmats and sediments samples were collected from 34 sites, along the coast of Qatar. Moreover, the Biota Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF) was calculated for THg and CH3-Hg through sentinel species.