Abstract Heavy metals have long been recognized as one of the most important pollutants in the ecosystem because of their persistence, their ubiquitousness in the environment, and their ready assimilation and bioaccumulation in organisms, determining a potential risk to human health by consuming contaminated food. A coastal survey off the west part of the Libyan coastline which has no river inputs was initiated to measure the existing level and distribution of selected heavy metals (Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), and Chromium (Cr)) in surface areas of Misurata Port, Misurata, Mediterranean Sea, Libya. Five sampling sites were selected along Misurata fishing harbor for the study for a period of six months from September 2016 to February 2017. The results showed that the mean concentrations of the heavy metals in the present study were found in the order of Z n > Cd > Pb > Cu, where the presence of chromium metal was not noticeable. The concentrations of all the heavy metals except Cd in the marine water samples in the present study found lower than those reported by WHO. Based on the above results, it was concluded that the seawater of Misurata Port is moderately polluted by heavy metals. The concentrations of the metals studied were compared with the values published by EPA, WHO, TSE and Australian authorities. The average concentration of Cadmium (0.0103-0.236 mg/L) metal was found to be higher than the limit values of all the above standards. The average concentrations of lead (0.000-0.061 mg/L), Zinc (1.001-1.926 mg/L), and Copper (0.000-0.166 mg/L) were recorded a little higher than that of the values of EPA and Australian.
Keywords Heavy Metals, Environmental quality, Seawater, Misrata Port, Libya.