Journal Article

Exploring the temporal toxicity signature: A baseline evaluation of the heavy metal concentration in estuarine core sediments in the coastal region of cauvery delta, bay of bengal

Sivaprakasam, Vasudevan, Jeyasingh, Vigneshwar, Sambath, Pravinraj, Periyasami, Sivaranjan, Sathyanarayanan, Baranidharan

2024

Overview

Globally, the concentration of heavy metals and sediment toxicity analysis are significant liabilities to aquatic environments. This scrutiny outlines the sediment textures, heavy metals and toxicity status associated with environmental pollution indices in the core sediment of the Cauvery and Vettar estuaries, East coast of India. The impact of rapid industrialization, urbanization, harbour activities and agricultural activities influences on the twain estuary is a significant concern to designate the environment. The contamination status of the sediments affects the potential biodiversity, ecological risks and human health. A total of two core sediments were recovered from the Cauvery and Vettar estuaries in March 2023 to decipher the environmental pollution status. Meticulous observation of the textural studies underscores the prevalence of sand content in Cauvery, and Vettar sediments consist of predominate clay content and minor silt contents. Furthermore, the organic matter is augmented in the Vettar River due to the higher input of waste disposal, seaweeds and algae due to the surrounding landmass. Twain core sediments argue that heavy metal concentration is decreasing in order as Fe > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cr by using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry. Remarkable results of environmental pollution indices such as I geo , E f , C f , C d and m C d state very highly polluted, extreme enrichments, high contamination and very high degree of contamination. Furthermore, the potential ecological risk indices such as PLI, SQG s, and PERI argue polluted, medium to high toxicity and moderate adverse ecological risk to the estuarine regions. Statistical analysis of the heavy metal affirms the enrichment of Fe metals may derive from lithogenic and/or anthropogenic influences, and the other studied metals such as Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and Cr may be influenced by the anthropogenic activities in the aspect of point and non-point pollution sources. This could result from both estuaries undergoing higher pollution, in which the Vettar estuary is a considerable environmental risk zone compared to the Cauvery river due to the impact of industrial effluents and rapid urbanization activities. This finding underscores the urgent need for enhanced estuarine sediment quality study and comprehensive assessment of sediment toxicity, regulating the beneficial acumen for the government to follow the suitable remediation on the embellish policy of river and marine environments.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Agricultural wastes / Algae / Anthropogenic factors / Aquatic environment / Aquatic Pollution / Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution / Bay of Bengal / Biodiversity / Cadmium / Chromium / clay fraction / Coastal zone / coasts / Contamination / Copper / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecological risk assessment / Ecotoxicology / Environment / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental Health / Environmental pollution / Environmental risk / Estuaries / fluorescence / Harbors / Heavy metals / human health / Human influences / India / Industrial effluents / Industrial wastewater / industrialization / Iron / issues and policy / Marine environment / Metal concentrations / Nickel / Nonpoint source pollution / Organic matter / Pollution / Pollution sources / remediation / Research Article / risk / Rivers / sand fraction / Seaweeds / Sediments / silt / Spectrometry / spectroscopy / Statistical analysis / Toxicity / Urbanization / Waste disposal / Waste Water Technology / Water analysis / Water Management / Water Pollution Control / X-radiation / X-ray fluorescence / Zinc