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An Upper Cretaceous spore-pollen and dinoflagellate zonation in two deep wells (AG-5 and AG- 13) of the Abu Gharadig oil field, Northwestern Desert, Egypt is presented. Six pollen and spores zones equivalent to five dinoflagellate and phytoplankton zones are defined for the Cenomanian-Santonian Bahariya and Abu Roash formations. One new pollen species, Integritetradites foveolatus sp. nov., is described from the middle to late Cenomanian strata. The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary is defined for the first time in Egypt using stable carbon and oxygen isotopes (813C and also), where a positive carbon excursion is detected in organic rich shale of the basal Abu Roash "F" Member. During the Cenomanian, Egypt was part of the mid-Cretaceous "African-South American" Province (ASA), characterized by dominance of Classopollis, Araucariacites, eleter-bearing and Afropollis pollen assemblage in an arid to semi-arid warm climate. The marine/terrestrial palynomorph ratio increased upward from the Cenomanian to Santonian related to a global sea level rise. The Cenomanian siliciclastics of the Bahariya Formation and the basal Abu Roash G and F members were deposited in a shallow marine, inner shelf environment. The Middle part of the Abu Roash Formation (E member: Turonian) is a shallow water, middle shelf deposit, while the upper part of the Abu Roash Formation (A, B, C and D members: Coniacian-Santonian) are open marine, outer shelf deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Western Desert of Egypt is one of the world’s most prolific Jurassic and Cretaceous hydrocarbon provinces. It is one of many basins that experienced organic-rich sedimentation during the late Cenomanian/early Turonian referred to as oceanic anoxic event 2 (OAE2). The Razzak #7 oil well in the Razzak Field in the northern part of the Western Desert encountered the Upper Cretaceous Abu Roash Formation. This study analyzed 23 samples from the upper “G”, “F”, and lower “E” members of the Abu Roash Formation for palynomorphs, particulate organic matter, total organic carbon (TOC) and δ13Corg in order to identify the OAE2, determine hydrocarbon source rock potential, and interpret the depositional environment. The studied samples are generally poor in palynomorphs, but show a marked biofacies change between the lower “E” member and the rest of the studied samples. Palynofacies analysis (kerogen quality and quantity) indicates the presence of oil- and gas-prone materials (kerogen types I and II/III, respectively), and implies reducing marine paleoenvironmental conditions. Detailed carbon stable isotopic and organic carbon analyses indicate that fluctuations in the δ13Corg profile across the Abu Roash upper “G”, “F”, and lower “E” members correspond well with changes in TOC values. A positive δ13Corg excursion (∼2.01‰) believed to mark the short-term global OAE2 was identified within the organic-rich shaly limestone in the basal part of the Abu Roash “F” member. This excursion also coincides with the peak TOC measurement (24.61 wt.%) in the samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Egyptian Mediterranean coast (EMC) receives a considerable quantity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs from EMC sediments were assessed to understand the effects of marine and riverine currents on their distribution. The concentrations of total PAHs ranged between 13,156-34,852 ng/g dw. PAH levels have increased even in areas far from the shoreline under the influence of riverine inputs from the Nile River; this is attributed to the tidally induced riverine freshwater re-suspension of surface sediments in the shallow near-shore section and re-precipitation in the fare stations. PAH levels generally increase as one moves from the western to the eastern part of the studied area, owing to the effect of the marine current. Diagnostic ratios pointed toward different pyrogenic sources. SQGs were used to assess the probability of observing adverse biological effects in benthic organisms in sediment samples. The toxic and mutagenic equivalent quotient for carcinogenic PAHs was extremely high., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Egyptian Mediterranean coast receives significant amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from industrial exhausts, riverine inputs, maritime shipping and fishers, and oil and natural gas production and exploration. The present study considers the first exhaustive assessment for the dissolved PAHs along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast (Alexandria to Manzallah) to monitor their spatial distribution and investigate the effect of the marine currents and the role of microorganisms in their distribution. Surface water levels ranged between 124.97 and 301.02 ng L -1 with an average 223.68 ± 41.11 ng L -1 . The distribution increases from west to east based on the water circulation in the Mediterranean Sea. The levels in near shore stations were lower than those of middle and onshore stations. The intensive existence of micro-organisms near shore stations consumes great part of PAHs, while this bio-remediation process decreases gradually away from the shoreline leaving relative high concentrations of dissolved PAHs in the middle and onshore stations. Middle and deep-water levels ranged between 312.75 and 1042.95 ng L -1 with an average 633.47 ± 225.53 ng L -1 . Deeper waters showed higher PAHs concentrations where the average concentrations of 50 m stations (868.12 ± 138.35 ng L -1 ) ˃ 30 m stations (629.49 ± 143.85 ng L -1 ) ˃ 10 m stations (402.79 ± 59.46 ng L -1 ). The wind-induced waves re-suspend rich PAHs sediment particles to increase its concentration in the water column. Carcinogenic toxic equivalent quotient (TEQ) for total detected PAHs in the middle and deep water represented more than double (75.46 ng TEQ L -1 ) the value in the surface water (34.76 ng TEQ L -1 ). The diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis indicated mainly pyrogenic origin in surface, middle, and deep waters., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Plastic waste is a major threat to various marine ecosystems. Due to being semi-enclosed basin with dense population, the Mediterranean Sea has been considered as a hot spot for plastic pollution. Alexandria was listed as one of the major cities contributing to plastic waste in the eastern Mediterranean basin. Accordingly, microplastics (MPs) abundance and composition were investigated in the digestive tracts of commercial fish species from two major fishing areas in Alexandria; Abu-Qir Bay and Eastern Harbor, which are affected by plastic pollution. The incidence and average densities of MPs were 91.8 ± 8.4% and 11.7 ± 9.5 items fish -1 , similar to highly polluted regions in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. The average MPs concentration was significantly higher in Sparus aurata (38.3 ± 28.4 items fish -1 ) than all species, except for Siganus rivulatus and Boops boops. Polyethylene and poly ethylene-vinyl acetate were the dominant polymers in the fish digestive tracts. Four types of plastic polymers were recorded in Siganus rivulatus and five in Parupeneus macronemus. The dominance of glossy fragments (sizes <500 μm) in Abu-Qir Bay indicated land-based source of pollution from domestic, agricultural, and industrial wastes. The dominance of larger plastic filaments and colored fragments in the Eastern Harbor suggested secondary MPs, originating from the fragmentation of larger plastic items of sea-based sources, such as fishing and recreational activities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microplastics (MPs) contamination has become a global concern with potential impacts on the marine environment. Alexandria is the second-largest city in Egypt and a significant contributor of plastic litter inputs into the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The current study provides an in-depth analysis of the plastic particles accumulated along Alexandria beaches. Types, composition, and potential sources of MPs were investigated using microscopy and thermal analysis. A mean value of 389.1 ± 285.9 items kg -1 dry weight was detected in the shore sediments similar to other records from the Eastern Mediterranean region. An average of 457.4 ± 281.8 items m -3 was recorded in the surface water, which was the highest recorded MPs density in onshore waters of the Mediterranean region. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that plastics made up 0.5% - 72% of the materials extracted from the sediment samples, and 0.58% - 20.6% from the water samples. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) identified ten semi-crystalline polymers. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) were the common polymers. The single-use plastic bags and detergents were the land-based sources of marine plastic litter. The sea-based sources included antifouling paints, maintenance of ships, and abandoned fishing gears. Proper management plans of domestic waste input, polluter-pay strategy, and education programs aiming at the Fishermen and how plastic pollution would impact their livelihood are urgently needed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)