# Assessment of Heavy Metal Distributions in Sand Beaches in the Maltese Islands
## 2 Materials and Methods
### Sampling and Pre-Treatment
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Location Details**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Location Name**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Location Coordinates**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Number of Samples**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Approximate Bay**} \\  & & & & **Area (m\({}^{2}\))** \\ \hline \multirow{8}{*}{**Malta**} & Armier Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)59\({}^{\prime}\)20.52\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{9} & \multirow{3}{*}{3157} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)21\({}^{\prime}\)23.39\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Ballut Reserve Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)50\({}^{\prime}\)20.69\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{5} & \multirow{8}{*}{1830} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)32\({}^{\prime}\)53.13\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Ghadira Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)58\({}^{\prime}\)15.10\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{27} & \multirow{8}{*}{9198} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)20\({}^{\prime}\)59.25\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Gnejna Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)55\({}^{\prime}\)13.30\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{10} & \multirow{8}{*}{3491} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)20\({}^{\prime}\)35.87\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Golden Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)56\({}^{\prime}\)17.27\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{14} & \multirow{8}{*}{5075} \\  & Little Armier Bay & 14\({}^{\circ}\)20\({}^{\prime}\)39.72\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Little Armier Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)59\({}^{\prime}\)21.97\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{4} & \multirow{8}{*}{1560} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)21\({}^{\prime}\)34.04\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Mistra Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)55\({}^{\prime}\)28.57\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{2} & \multirow{8}{*}{722} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)23\({}^{\prime}\)23.12\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Paradise Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)58\({}^{\prime}\)54.94\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{4} & \multirow{8}{*}{1556} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)19\({}^{\prime}\)56.55\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Pretty Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)49\({}^{\prime}\)30.10\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{14} & \multirow{8}{*}{5012} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)31\({}^{\prime}\)45.77\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Rinella Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)53\({}^{\prime}\)36.31\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{3} & \multirow{8}{*}{927} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)31\({}^{\prime}\)39.91\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Riviera Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)55\({}^{\prime}\)44.60\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{10} & \multirow{8}{*}{3575} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)20\({}^{\prime}\)41.28\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & St. George’s Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)49\({}^{\prime}\)55.40\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{4} & \multirow{8}{*}{1201} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)31\({}^{\prime}\)50.24\({}^{\prime}\) E & & \\  & Xemxija Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)56\({}^{\prime}\)48.18\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{1} & \multirow{8}{*}{401} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)22\({}^{\prime}\)59.30\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & White Tower Bay & 35\({}^{\circ}\)59\({}^{\prime}\)32.27\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{7} & \multirow{8}{*}{2601} \\  & Hondo ir-Rummien & 14\({}^{\circ}\)21\({}^{\prime}\)55.61\({}^{\prime}\) E & & \\  & Hondo ir-Rummien & 36\({}^{\circ}\)1\({}^{\prime}\)40.59\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{2} & \multirow{8}{*}{770} \\  & Bay & 14\({}^{\circ}\)19\({}^{\prime}\)19.31\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\
**Gozo** & Ramla Bay & 36\({}^{\circ}\)34\({}^{\prime}\)0.99\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{16} & \multirow{8}{*}{5807} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)17\({}^{\prime}\)2.58\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Xlendi Bay & 36\({}^{\circ}\)1\({}^{\prime}\)49.88\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{1} & \multirow{8}{*}{203} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)17\({}^{\prime}\)2.58\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & Marsalform Bay & 36\({}^{\circ}\)47\({}^{\prime}\)17.4108\({}^{\prime\prime}\) N & \multirow{8}{*}{1} & \multirow{8}{*}{573} \\  & & 14\({}^{\circ}\)15\({}^{\prime}\)37.3788\({}^{\prime\prime}\) E & & \\  & & 134 & 47,659 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}