Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most nutrient depleted seas and is a characteristic oligotrophic system. The Mediterranean Region, embracing parts of two continents as diverse as Europe and Africa, is a complex geographic, ecological, cultural and socio-political set-up based around the Mediterranean Sea basin. The Mediterranean climate, with mild, wet winters and hot dry summers, has been used as a model for many other regions around the world. Its landscape and monuments continue to be the greatest tourist destination in the entire world. As a consequence, urbanization has been particularly growing along the coastal strip, to accommodate both a permanent and temporary population, with the result being a substantial modification of the coast itself and adverse effects on the quality of the environment. The highly developed industrial countries in the North stand in stark contrast to the countries in the South. These differences have significant implications when addressing environmental issues and particularly those related with the management of persistent toxic substances (PTSs). The descriptions of the contamination of sediment collected from the Mediterranean coast with heavy metals are summarized in this review. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, Ni, Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn, etc. in sediment collected from the Mediterranean coast of eight countries are presented in this review. Most of the published articles about the contamination of sediment in the Mediterranean with heavy metals have been discussed in this work.