title: Magnetic properties of sediments in cores from the Mandovi estuary, western India: Inferences on provenance and pollution.
abstract: Magnetic properties of sediments were investigated in 7 gravity cores recovered along a transect of the Mandovi estuary, western India to understand their provenance and pollution. The maximum magnetic susceptibility of sediments was at least 6 times higher in the upper/middle estuary than in lower estuary/bay. The χfd% and χARM/SIRM of sediments indicated coarse, multi-domain and pseudo-single domain magnetic grains, resembling ore material in the upper/middle estuary and coarse stable single domain (SSD) to fine SSD grains in the lower estuary/bay. Mineralogy parameters indicated hematite and goethite-dominated sediments in the upper/middle estuary and magnetite-dominated sediments in the lower estuary/bay. Two sediment types were discernible because of deposition of abundant ore material in the upper/middle estuary and detrital sediment in the lower estuary/bay. The enrichment factor and Index of geo-accumulation of metals indicated significant to strong pollution with respect to Fe and Mn in sediments from the upper/middle estuary.
authors.affiliation: CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula 403 004, Goa, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prajith
authors.affiliation: CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula 403 004, Goa, India. Electronic address: vprao@nio.org.
authors.forename: V Purnachandra
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula 403 004, Goa, India.
authors.forename: Pratima M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kessarkar
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D007194:India; D008280:Magnetics; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Estuarine sediments; Magnetic properties; Mandovi River; Ore pollution; Western India