RT journal article
T1 Metal Distribution and Short-Time Variability in Recent Sediments from the Ganges River towards the Bay of Bengal (India)
A1 Bonnail, Estefanía
A1 Antón-Martín, Rocío
A1 Riba López, Inmaculada
A1 Del Valls Casillas, Ángel
A2 Química Física
K1 geochemistry
K1 Sundarbans Wetlands
K1 Hugli Estuary
K1 environmental risk assessment
K1 factor analysis
AB The Ganges River receives inputs from highly populated cities of India (New Delhi, Calcutta,among others) and a strong influence of anthropogenic activities until reaching the Bay of Bengal.It is a seasonal river with 80% of discharges occurring between July and October during monsoon.The land-based activities next to the shore lead to discharges of untreated domestic and industriale uents, inputs of agricultural chemicals, discharges of organic matter (cremations), and discharges ofchemicals from aquaculture farms. In spite of the UNESCO declaring Human Patrimony the NationalPark Sundarbans, located in the delta, contamination has increased over time and it dramaticallyintensifies during the monsoon period due to the flooding of the drainage basin. Vertical elementdistribution (Cd, Co, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) was studied in sediments collected in di erent stationstowards the Hügli Estuary. Results determined no vertical gradient associated with the analyzedsediment samples, which informs about severe sediment dynamic in the area that probably relatesto tidal hydrodynamics and seasonal variation floods. The multivariate analysis results showeddi erent associations among metals and in some cases between some of them (Co, Zn, Pb, and Cu)and the organic carbon. These allow the identification of di erent geochemical processes in the areaand their relationship with the sources of contamination such as discharge of domestic and industriale uents and di use sources enhanced by the monsoons. Also, an environmental risk value wasgiven to the studied area by comparing the analyzed concentrations to quality guidelines adoptedin other countries. It showed an estimated risk associated with the concentration of the metal Cumeasured in the area of Kadwip.
PB MDPI
SN 2076-3263
YR 2019
FD 2019-06
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/21632
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/21632
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 11-nov-2026