Seasonal Distribution of Nutrients in Water and Sediment of Three Coastal Region of Palk Bay Area, India

Abstract

The present study was carried out to determine the seasonal distribution of nutrients in water and sediment of three coastal region of Thondi, Kottaipattinum and Sethubhavachatirum for a period of one year from January 2018 to December 2018. The analysis of different parameters such as nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, inorganic phosphate, total phosphate, silicate, pH sediment, total phosphate, total nitrogen and total organic carbon were carried out using standard methods in water as well as in sediment. The nitrite values varied between 0.214 to 0.892 µm/l, 0.128 to 0.848 µm/l and 0.097 to 0.917 µm/l; nitrate values varied between 1.316 to 4.881 µm/l , 1.87 to 4.411 µm/l and 7.029 to 12.045 µm/l; ammonia values varied between 1.316 to 4.881 µm/l, 1.87 to 4.411 µm/l and 7.029 to 12.045 µm/l; total nitrogen values varied between 16.976 to 29.512 µm/l, 14.765 to 28.225 µm/l and 12.776 to 23.541 µm/l; inorganic phosphate values varied between 0.354 to 1.98 µm/l, 0.292 to 1.967 µm/l and 0.483 to 1.84 µm/l; total phosphorus values varied between 1.033 to 2.508µm/l, 0.83 to 2.816 µm/l and 1.418 to 2.953 µm/l; silicate content values varied between 25.217 to 54.074 µm/l, 30.883 to 59.872 µm/l and 28.217 to 48.074 µm/l at Thondi, Kottaipattinum and Sethubhavachatirum, respectively. In sediment, pH varied between 8.0 to 8.20, 7.9 to 8.20 and 8.0 to 8.10; total phosphorus 0.15 to 2.61, 2.31 to 3.31 and 0.91 to 2.17; Total nitrogen 6.50 to 12.95 µg/g, 4.85 to 11.96 µg/g and 5.17 to 8.08 µg/g and the total organic carbon 1.57 to 5.36, 2.21 to 3.59 and 1.48 to 4.15 at the three stations