title: Comparison of heavy metal contamination during the last decade along the coastal sediment of Pakistan: Multiple pollution indices approach.
abstract: Heavy metals concentrations (Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Co, Pb, and Cd) were scrutinized during two monitoring years (2001 and 2011) in the coastal sediment of Pakistan. The status of metal contamination in coastal sediment was interpreted using sediment quality guidelines, and single and combined metal pollution indices. Ni, Cr, and Cd were recognized for their significant (p<0.05) intensification in the sediment during the last decade. Sediment quality guidelines recognized the frequent adverse biological effect of Ni and the occasional adverse biological effect of Cu, Cr, Pb and Cd. Single metal pollution indices (Igeo, EF, CF, and ER) revealed that sediment pollution is predominantly caused by Pb and Cd. Low to moderate contamination was appraised along the coast by multi-metal pollution indices (CD and PERI). Correlation study specifies that heavy metals were presented diverse affiliations and carriers for distribution in the sediment during the last decade.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology, University of Karachi, Karachi 75500, Pakistan. Electronic address: noorusaher@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Noor Us
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Saher
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology, University of Karachi, Karachi 75500, Pakistan. Electronic address: asmatssiddiqui@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Asmat Saleem
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D010154:Pakistan; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Coastal pollution; Decade comparison; Sediment quality guidelines; Single and combined pollution indices