Assessment of heavy metals in sediments near Hazira industrial zone at Tapti River estuary, Surat, India

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences 2013-08, Vol.69 (7), p.2365-2376
• Main Authors: Shah, Bhavna A, Shah, Ajay V, Mistry, Chirag B, Navik, Alok J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic organisms; Biogeosciences; Brackish; Cadmium; Chromium; cobalt; Copper; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Enrichment; Environmental Science and Engineering; Estuaries; Exact sciences and technology; Freshwater; Geochemistry; Geology; Heavy metals; Hydrology/Water Resources; Industrial areas; Lead; Lead (metal); Marine and continental quaternary; nickel; Original Article; Pollution, environment geology; Rivers; Sediment samplers; Sediments; Surficial geology; Terrestrial Pollution; Zinc
• ISSN: 1866-6280; 1866-6299
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-012-2066-4

Heavy metal accumulation due to industrial activities has become a very sensitive issue for the survival of the aquatic life. Therefore, distributions of several heavy metals have been studied in the surface sediments of Tapti–Hazira estuary, Surat, to assess the impact of anthropogenic and industrial activities near estuary. Totally 60 sediment samples were collected from four different sites at Tapti–Hazira estuary, Surat from January 2011 to May 2011 and examined for metal contents. The average heavy metal load in the study area are found to be 43.28–77.74 mg/kg for Pb, 48.26–72.40 mg/kg for Cr, 117.47–178.80 mg/kg for Zn, 71.13–107.82 mg/kg for Ni, 123.17–170.52 mg/kg for Cu, 0.74–1.25 mg/kg for Cd, 14.73–21.69 mg/kg for Co. Calculated enrichment factors (EF) reveal that enrichment of Pb and Cd is moderate at all sites, whereas other metals Cr, Ni, Zn, Co, and Cu show significant to very high enrichment. Geo-accumulation index (I gₑₒ) results revealed that the study area is nil to moderately contaminated with respect to Cd, moderately to highly polluted with respect to Pb, Zn, and Cu and high to very highly polluted with respect to Co and Cr.