Center for Environmental Nuclear Research, Directorate of Research, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur - 603203, Chengelpattu, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Anatomy, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur - 603203, Chengelpattu, Tamil Nadu, India.
Environ Res. 2023 Oct 15;235:116611. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116611. Epub 2023 Jul 10.
The current study aims to investigate the influence of seasonal changes on the pollution loads of the sediment of a coastal area in terms of its physicochemical features. The research will focus on analyzing the nutrients, organic carbon and particle size of the sediment samples collected from 12 different sampling stations in 3 different seasons along the coastal area. Additionally, the study discusses about the impact of anthropogenic activities such as agriculture and urbanization and natural activities such as monsoon on the sediment quality of the coastal area. The nutrient changes in the sediment were found to be: pH (7.96-9.45), EC (2.89-5.23 dS/m), nitrogen (23.98-57.23 mg/kg), phosphorus (7.75-11.36 mg/kg), potassium (217-398 mg/kg), overall organic carbon (0.35-0.99%), and sediment proportions (8.91-9.3%). Several statistical methods were used to investigate changes in sediment quality. According to the three-way ANOVA test, the mean value of the sediments differs significantly with each season. It correlates significantly with principal factor analysis and cluster analysis across seasons, implying contamination from both natural and man-made sources. This study will contribute to developing effective management strategies for the protection and restoration of degraded coastal ecosystem.
本研究旨在探讨季节性变化对沿海地区沉积物污染负荷的影响，主要从其理化特性方面进行分析。本研究将重点分析沿海地区 12 个不同采样点在 3 个不同季节采集的沉积物样本中的营养物质、有机碳和颗粒大小。此外，本研究还讨论了人为活动（如农业和城市化）和自然活动（如季风）对沿海地区沉积物质量的影响。沉积物中的养分变化为：pH 值（7.96-9.45）、电导率（2.89-5.23 dS/m）、氮（23.98-57.23 mg/kg）、磷（7.75-11.36 mg/kg）、钾（217-398 mg/kg）、总有机碳（0.35-0.99%）和沉积物比例（8.91-9.3%）。本研究采用了几种统计方法来探讨沉积物质量的变化。根据三因素方差分析，各季节沉积物的平均值存在显著差异。它与主因子分析和聚类分析在整个季节都有显著相关性，表明存在自然和人为来源的污染。本研究将有助于制定有效的管理策略，以保护和恢复退化的沿海生态系统。
