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Mercury enrichments in core sediments in Hugli–Matla–Bidyadhari estuarine complex, north-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal and their ecotoxicological significance

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Mercury concentrations (HgT) in fine-grained fraction (<63 μm) of core sediments of the Hugli–Matla–Bidyadhari estuarine complex, India were analyzed. Results revealed a wide range of spatial variations (<4–93 ng g−1 dry weight) with a definite enhancement level at the lower stretch of the estuarine complex infested with mangrove plants, which might act as a sink to HgT. An elevated concentration of Hg was encountered in surface/subsurface layer of the core in majority of the cases resulting from physical, biogenic and postdepositional diagenetic processes that remobilized and resuspended the metal from deeper sediments. A strong positive correlation was observed between the Hg and clay fraction content of the sediments, while the correlations of Hg with Al, Fe and Mn were poor. Based on the index of geoaccumulation (I geo) and effects range-low (ER-L) value, it is considered that the sediments are less polluted and thus there is less chance of ecotoxicological risk to organisms living in sediments.

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Acknowledgments

The work was carried out from a research project funded by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, India entitled “Concentration of heavy metals in sediment profiles of Sunderban mangrove environment, northeast India” bearing sanction No. 24/(0276)/EMR-II. One of the authors (Mousumi Chatterjee) is greatly indebted to CSIR for awarding her JRF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta, 700019, India

    M. Chatterjee, S. K. Sarkar & A. K. Bhattacharya

  2. INBR, National Institute for Fisheries and Sea Research, Av. Brasília, 1449-006, Lisbon, Portugal

    J. Canário & V. Branco

  3. Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, Environmental and Industrial Safety Section, Safety Group, Kalpakkam, 603102, Tamil Nadu, India

    K. K. Satpathy

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  1. M. Chatterjee
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  5. A. K. Bhattacharya
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Correspondence to M. Chatterjee.

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Chatterjee, M., Canário, J., Sarkar, S.K. et al. Mercury enrichments in core sediments in Hugli–Matla–Bidyadhari estuarine complex, north-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal and their ecotoxicological significance. Environ Geol 57, 1125–1134 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1404-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1404-z

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