title: Impact of sediment characteristics on the heavy metal concentration and their ecological risk level of surface sediments of Vaigai river, Tamilnadu, India.
abstract: The distributions of the metals (Al, Fe, Mg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) were measured for the surface sediments of the Vaigai river, Tamilnadu, India. These values are compared with different standard values to assess the level of toxicity of the heavy metals in the sediments. Risk indices (CF, PLI and PER) are also calculated to understand the level of toxicity of the metals. Multivariate statistical analyses (Pearson's correlation analysis, cluster analysis and factor analysis) are carried out to know the inter-relationship between sediment characteristics and the heavy metals. From this analysis, it is confirmed that the contents of clay and organic matter play an important role to raise the level of heavy metal contents as well as PLI and PER (level of toxicity). Heavy metal concentrations of the samples (after removing silt and clay fractions from bulk samples) show decrease in their concentrations and risk indices compared to the level of bulk samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Paramasivam
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: srsaranram@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramasamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman College of Engineering, Vadamavandal (Near Kanchipuram), Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suresh
mesh_terms: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D000077215:Clay; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D007194:India; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000077215:Clay
keywords: Heavy metals; Magnetic susceptibility; Multivariate statistical analyses; Organic matter; River sediments