A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the levels, sources, potential ecological risks, and impacts on public health of potential toxic elements (PTEs) in the sediments and C. barbata in 8 cities located on the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. In all the measuring stations, the enrichment factors (EF) for Ni, Zn and Cu metals in the sediments were in the "minimal enrichment" class. All PTEs have shown "low ecological risk" at all stations according to the ecological risk index (E