Evaluation of impact of industrial effluents on intertidal sediments of a creek

Abstract

A large amount of material in the form of industrial effluents and urban sewage containing metal contaminants directly enters Dudh creek. Metals on entering the creek tend to settle at the bottom and become part of the sediments. The distribution of metals with depth reflects changes in their supply as well as diagenetic modifications with time. In the present study, an attempt has been made to understand the impact of waste discharged from Tarapur Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation on Dudh creek. Two cores were collected, one close to the creek mouth and the other in the inner part of the creek. Sediment component, organic carbon and metal (vanadium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, manganese, iron and aluminium) analyses were carried out on the two cores. The variation in the distribution of sediment components with depth reflects changes in hydrodynamic condition of the creek over the years. Increase in concentration of most of the metals in the upper part of the cores indicates additional input in recent years. The core collected in the inner part of the creek showed higher metal and organic carbon concentration as compared to the downstream core. This was very well supported by distribution of points on an isocon plot. Enrichment factor and index of geoaccumulation were used to find the extent of pollution in sediments of the creek. Correlation and R-mode factor analysis have also been computed to understand the association and source of metal input in sediments of Dudh creek.

Speciation of metals and their distribution in tropical estuarine mudflat sediments, southwest coast of India

“…Normally, Fe 2 þ and Mn 2 þ species get precipitated in the top layers of sediment after being removed through the pore water of subsurface sediments (Klinkhammer et al, 1982). The presence of strong Fe and Mn peaks at 34, 18 and 8 cm depth in core S3 and; 12 and at surface of core MF6 indicated diagenetic mobilization and re-precipitation of these metals in the form of oxides and hydroxides (Volvoikar and Nayak, 2013). Under Suboxic conditions, there is reduction of Fe and Mn which leads to their mobilization and upward diffusion to oxic surface sediments, where they get reprecipitated as oxides and hydroxides (Farmer and Lovell, 1984).…”

Identify Priority Control Pollutants and Areas of Groundwater in an Old Metropolitan Industrial Area—A Case Study of Putuo, Shanghai, China

“…Long-term industrial production has led to high concentrations of toxic substances in groundwater [6]. Due to the mobility of groundwater, harmful substances also presented risks to the ecosystem of the surrounding land [7,8]. To reduce the risk of heavy metals, it is very essential to identify priority pollutants and priority control areas.…”