Spatial distribution and potential biological risk of some metals in relation to granulometric content in core sediments from Chilika Lake, India.

The article presents first systematic report on the concentration of selected major elements [iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn)] and minor elements [zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co)] from the core sediment of Chilika Lake, India. The analyzed samples revealed higher content of Pb than the background levels in the entire study area. The extent of contamination from minor and major elements is expressed by assessing (i) the metal enrichments in the sediment through the calculations of anthropogenic factor (AF), pollution load index (PLI), Enrichment factor (EF), and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and (ii) potential biological risks by the use of sediment quality guidelines like effect range median (ERM) and effect range low (ERL) benchmarks. The estimated indices indicated that sediment is enriched with Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu and Co. The enrichment of these elements seems to be due to the fine granulometric characteristics of the sediment with Fe and Mn oxyhydroxides being the main metal carriers and fishing boats using low grade paints, fuel, and fishing technology using lead beads fixed to fishing nets. Trace element input to the Chilika lake needs to be monitored with due emphasis on Cr and Pb contaminations since the ERM and ERL benchmarks indicated potential biological risk with these metals.

Sources and Variability of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Residues in Sediments of Chilika Lagoon, East Coast of India.

The spatio-temporal distribution and the controlling factors of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) in sediments of Chilika lagoon was investigated. Samples were collected during three seasons and quantified using UV-fluorescence spectroscopy. Concentrations of PHCs in surface sediments varies from 0.18 to 12.13 ppm (mean 3.71 ± 3.94 ppm). Compared to the lagoon, the monitoring stations adjacent to jetties with high boating activities tend to have higher PHC concentrations, suggesting that the contribution is likely to be from fossil fuel combustion and accidental seepage. The sediment organic matter (OM) of Chilika ranges from 0.26% to 6.23%. PHC maintains a positive correlation with OM (p < 0.05; f = 0.334), indicating the long term deposition of PHC as sediment OM. However, there is no significant relation between PHC and sediment texture, indicating its negligible control over PHC. The recorded PHC concentrations are below the threshold limit (70 ppm) as classified by United States (US) National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and also lower than those reported from similar ecosystems in India and overseas. Since the long term deposition and the bioaccumulation of PHC cannot be avoided, it is essential to monitor these parameters periodically.

Spatiotemporal distribution and composition of phytoplankton assemblages in a coastal tropical lagoon: Chilika, India.

The Asia's largest lagoon, Chilika, is a shallow water estuary and a designated "Ramsar" site located in the east coast of India. The spatiotemporal diversity of phytoplankton based on the monthly sampling between July 2011 and June 2012 was investigated in relation to physicochemical variables of the surface water column from 13 stations. The salinity was minimum (average 9) during the monsoon which was primarily due to riverine discharge. As the season progressed towards post-monsoon, average salinity of the whole lagoon reached to 10 which further increased to 20 during pre-monsoon season. A total of 259 species of phytoplankton, mostly dominated by the Bacillariophyta (138 species) followed by Dinophyta (38 species), Chlorophyta (32 species), Cyanophyta (29 species), Euglenophyta (18 species), and Chrysophyta (4 species), were recorded in this study. Different ecological sectors of the lagoon (except the northern sector) were dominated by diatoms, while the northern sector due to its freshwater regime supported large population of euglenoids. Based on the multivariate ordination analysis, salinity regime and light availability played important role in determining the distribution, diversity, and composition of phytoplankton communities. Overall, this study documented a very high diversity of phytoplankton and highlighted the importance of taking extensive sampling in getting a clearer understanding of phytoplankton community structure in less-studied environments such as Chilika lagoon.