Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Adjoining Sediment of River Ecosystem

Bhanu Pratap Singh, Moharana Choudhury, Palas Samanta, Monu Gaur and Maniram Kumar
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Bhanu Pratap Singh: Department of Civil Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Delhi-NCR Campus, Ghaziabad 201204, India
Moharana Choudhury: Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784028, India
Palas Samanta: Department of Environmental Science, Sukanta Mahavidyalaya, University of North Bengal, Raja Rammohunpur 735210, India
Monu Gaur: Department of Civil Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Delhi-NCR Campus, Ghaziabad 201204, India
Maniram Kumar: Department of Civil Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Delhi-NCR Campus, Ghaziabad 201204, India

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-14

Abstract: The present study was focused on heavy metal distribution patterns and the associated ecological risk assessment in the adjoining sediment of the Hindon River in Muzaffarnagar Region (U.P.), India. Lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), sodium (Na), and potassium (K) were estimated from six sediment samples (Atali A and B, Budhana A and B, and Titavi A and B). The concentration of the heavy metals Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Cd ranged from 25.5–74.7 mg kg −1 , 29.8–40.6 mg kg −1 , 7.0–29.2 mg kg −1 , 14.7–21.8 mg kg −1 , and 0.96–1.2 mg kg −1 , respectively and followed the sequence Zn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd, while major elements followed the sequence Na > Fe > Al > K. The enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index ( I geo ) revealed that Atali A showed the highest enrichment and followed the sequence Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cd. Contamination factor (CF) and contamination degree (CD) depicted that all of the sites (except Titavi B) were moderately to considerably contaminated. The highest degree of contamination (CF, CD, and PLI, pollution load index) was observed at Titavi A followed by Atali A and Budhana A. Eco-toxicological risk assessment (RI) indicated that the sites were moderately contaminated, predominantly by Ni and Pb and Zn. The results revealed that the metal contamination in sediment is alarming and might pose an adverse threat to ecosystem health.

Keywords: heavy metals; contamination; sediment; element; risk; pollution; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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