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Toxic metals enrichment in the surficial sediments of a eutrophic tropical estuary (Cochin Backwaters, Southwest coast of India)

DRS at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography

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Title Toxic metals enrichment in the surficial sediments of a eutrophic tropical estuary (Cochin Backwaters, Southwest coast of India)
 
Creator Martin, G.D.
Rejomon G.
Shaiju, P.
Muraleedharan, K.R.
Nair, S.M.
Chandramohanakumar, N.
 
Subject sediments
trace elements
concentration
backwaters
 
Description Concentrations and distributions of trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in surficial sediments of the Cochin backwaters were studied during both monsoon and pre-monsoon periods. Spatial variations were in accordance with textural charaterstics and organic matter content. A principal component analysis distinguished three zones with different metal accumulation capacity: (i) highest levels in north estuary, (ii) moderate levels in central zone, and (iii) lowest levels in southern part. Trace metal enrichments are mainly due to anthropogenic contribution of industrial, domestic, and agricultural effluents, whose effect is enhanced by settling of metals due to organic flocculation and inorganic precipitation associated with salinity changes. Enrichments factors using Fe as a normalizer showed that metal contamination was the product of anthropogenic activities. An assessment of degree of pollution-categorized sediments as moderately polluted with Cu and Pb, moderately-to-heavily polluted with Zn, and heavily-to-extremely polluted with Cd. Concentrations at many sites largely exceed NOAA ERL (e.g., Cu, Cr, and Pb) or ERM (e.g., Cd, Ni, and Zn). This means that adverse effects for benthic organisms are possible or even highly probable.
 
Date 2012-09-03T09:20:06Z
2012-09-03T09:20:06Z
2012
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Scientific World Journal, vol.2012; 2012; Article ID 972839, 17 pp.
http://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/4149
 
Language en
 
Rights Copyright © 2012 G. D. Martin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 
Publisher The Scientific World Journal