Spatial and Seasonal Trend of Trace Metals and Ecological Risk Assessment along Kanyakumari Coastal Sediments, Southern India

Abstract

The concentration of selected trace metals (Fe, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in 30surface sediments were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer to investigatethe spatial and seasonal variations of trace metals along Kanyakumari coast, India. Toassess the environmental risk of trace metals, enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index,pollution load index, and ecological risk index have been calculated. According to thepollution load index and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) values, Kanyakumari coastalsediments were unpolluted by Fe, Cu, Pb, and Zn, whereas moderately polluted by Cdwith low to moderate ecological risk. The existence of the high hydrodynamic conditionduring the southwest monsoon is more favorable to the transport of sediments andenhance the accumulation of metals, whereas during the northeast monsoon theaccumulation of metals is less. The baseline data for spatial distribution and seasonalvariation of trace metals and their controlling factors found in this study will be useful forpollution monitoring program along the Kanyakumari coast.