title: Assessment of trace metal contamination level and toxicity in sediments from coastal regions of West Bengal, eastern part of India.
abstract: The work investigated concentration of trace metals in surface sediments (0-10 cm; < 63 μm grain size) from 15 sampling sites of diverse environmental stresses covering Hugli River Estuary (HRE) and Sundarban Mangrove Wetland (SMW), eastern coastal part of India. The trace metal concentrations in sediments exhibited an overall decreasing trend as follows: Cr (21.2-60.9)>Cu (11.60-102.47)>Ni (19.10-52.60)>Pb (7.09-183.88)>As (4.41-11.46)>Cd (0.02-4.4)>Ag (0.02-0.87). Both the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) values revealed significant pollution by Ag, Cd and Pb at Nurpur of HRE. Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI) (61.21 ± 112.40) showed wide range of variations from low (19.76) to serious (463.20) ecological risk. A positive significant correlation was found between metals and organic carbon in sediments. The ecological risk associated with the trace metals in sediment was considered on the consensus based Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs). The work suggests that the trace metals present in sediments posed adverse effects on the sediment-dwelling organisms.
authors.affiliation: Emerald Energy Consultancy Ltd., England LN7 6GN, United Kingdom. Electronic address: b_antizar@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Antizar-Ladislao
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta 700019, India.
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta 700019, India.
authors.forename: Soumita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta 700019, India.
authors.forename: Santosh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sarkar
mesh_terms: D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D007194:India; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Ecological risk index; Ecotoxicology; Hugli River Estuary; Indian Sundarban; Sediment quality; Trace metals