The present work is the first attempt to compare the data of a comprehensive study of the origin and distribution of 16 priority pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments (&lt;63 μm) from 18 sampling stations, 9 from Sundarban of Bangladesh and 9 from Indian counterpart. Σ19PAHs concentration in sediments showed wide variations from 208.3 to 12,993.1 ng g-1 dry weight in Indian Sundarban, whereas 208.4 to 4,687.9 ng g-1 in the case of Bangladesh. Fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene were predominant species for both the countries. The PAH diagnostic ratios indicated that the PAHs in sediments from both the countries were of mixed source of hydrocarbons of both petrogenic and pyrolytic origin. According to the numerical effect-based sediment quality guidelines, the levels of PAHs in the Sundarban wetland of Bangladesh and India should not exert adverse biological effects. The TEQ values calculated for samples from the Bangladesh and Indian Sundarban varied from 13.68 to 1,014.75 and 1.31 to 2,451 ng g-1 d. w. with an average of 221.02 and 358.63 ng g-1, respectively. The overall contamination status of PAH was higher in India than Bangladesh. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

O ZULOAGA

A PRIETO

K AHMED

S K SARKAR

A BHATTACHARYA

M CHATTERJEE

B D BHATTACHARYA

K K SATPATHY

University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University or CU) is a collegiate public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.&nbsp;Within India it is recognized as a &quot;Five-Star University&quot; and accredited &quot;A&quot; Grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

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The University of Calcutta has secured the Fifth position among the Universities of India in the prestigious &quot;Indian University Ranking 2019&quot; list, released by the NIRF of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

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It was established on 24 January 1857, and was one of the first institutions in Asia to be established as a multidisciplinary and Western-style university. Its alumni and faculty include several heads of state, heads of government, social reformers, prominent artists, only academy award winner and Dirac medal winner in India, many Fellows of the Royal Society and five Nobel laureates as of 2019 which is highest in South Asia.

University Of Calcutta

Environmental Earth Sciences

The spatial distribution, source identification and ecotoxicological impact of a group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), polychlorobenzenes (PCBzs)), and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in surface sediment samples (0–5 cm, &lt;63 μm grain size) along the ecologically stressed Hooghly River estuary, East India. The results demonstrated a wide range of concentrations (ng/g dry weight) with the following decreasing order: ∑16PAHs (3.3–630) &gt; ∑6DDTs (0.14–18.6) &gt; ∑7PCBs (0.28–7.7) &gt; ∑2PCBzs (0.01–1.3) &gt; ∑5HCH (0.10–0.6), with a dominance of p,p′-DDT and higher molecular weight PAHs. Selected diagnostic ratios indicated a mixture of both pyrolytic and petrogenic sources of PAHs, inputs of weathered DDT and their degradation in oxidizing environment, and a predominance of industrial input over the agricultural wastes. The cumulative impact of the pollutants (effective range medium quotient (ERMq): 0.01–0.16) reflected minimal to low ecotoxicological risk, with highest probability of toxic effects towards surrounding biota at Barrackpore (21%). ∑6DDTs exceeded the effect range low value resulting occasional adverse impact to the sediment dwelling organisms. Among the PAHs, the 4-ringed compounds accounted for 68% of the PAHs. Further, carcinogenic PAHs (BaA, Chry, BbF, BkF, BaP, DahP, Inp) possessed highest cancer risk (CR = 2.09 × 10−3) to the local population when exposed to the sediments from the studied area and ingestion was found to be the primary process of contamination. The study strongly recommends a systematic monitoring of POPs and PAHs, being the Hooghly River water used by local people for their livelihood. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Chemosphere

Characterization, source identification and risk associated with polyaromatic and chlorinated organic contaminants (PAHs, PCBs, PCBzs and OCPs) in the surface sediments of Hooghly estuary, India

The origin and distribution of 19 priority pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in core sediments (&lt;63 μm) from the Sundarban mangrove wetland, northeastern part of Bay of Bengal, India, were investigated by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Sedimentary organic carbon and textural properties were also analyzed in order to assess the role of geochemistry on PAH distribution. ∑ 19PAHs concentration in sediments showed wide variations from 9.4-4222.8 ng/g dry weight, with an overall increase of the high molecular PAHs in the deeper depth profiles. Fluoranthene, chrysene, and pyrene were the most abundant hydrocarbons in sediments and it can be explained by active inputs of soil materials due to frequent strong rainfalls in this tropical climatic zone. A rather exceptional prevalence of high molecular weight PAHs was substantiated: nearly 80% of ∑ 19PAHs include fluoranthene (18-20%), chrysene (14-16%), and pyrene (10-11%). Carcinogenic compounds were present in moderately high (DBA, BkF, BbF) or negligible and low concentrations (BaP, InP) in a majority of cases. The PAH diagnostic ratios indicated that the PAHs in sediment cores were of pyrolytic origin, and that atmospheric deposition and land runoff may serve as the important pathways for PAHs input to the sediments. The total PAH levels were expressed as the benzo (a) pyrene toxicity equivalents (TEQ carc) making this compound a potential marker for PAH pollution. The baseline data can be used for regular ecological monitoring, considering the industrial and agricultural growth around this important estuarine environment. The results indicated that the PAHs in sediments of Sundarban wetland resulted in low to moderate ecosystem risk. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds

Distribution and Ecosystem Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Core Sediments of Sundarban Mangrove Wetland, India

The paper presents the first comprehensive account of congener profiles of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in intertidal bivalve mollusks [Meretrix meretrix, Macoma birmanica, and Sanguilonaria (Soletellina) acuminata] of Sunderban mangrove wetland (India). The main aim of this work was to use the bivalves as bioindicators of the contamination of the 16 USEPA PAH. The PAH profile in bivalves is largely dominated by a petrogenic fingerprint, with over-imposition of pyrolytic PAH sources, as evidenced by diagnostic molecular ratios. Bioaccumulation factors (BAF) of individual compounds from the sediments were calculated, and it reveals overall higher values in the visceral mass of the bivalves. S acuminata showed significantly higher levels of PAHs, especially the high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs, compared to the other two species as a sensitive indicator of trace organic stress in future monitoring programs. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Water, Air, and Soil Pollution

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in intertidal marine bivalves of sunderban mangrove Wetland, India: An approach to bioindicator species

Mercury concentrations (HgT) in fine-grained fraction (&lt;63 μm) of core sediments of the Hugli-Matla-Bidyadhari estuarine complex, India were analyzed. Results revealed a wide range of spatial variations (&lt;4-93 ng g-1 dry weight) with a definite enhancement level at the lower stretch of the estuarine complex infested with mangrove plants, which might act as a sink to HgT. An elevated concentration of Hg was encountered in surface/subsurface layer of the core in majority of the cases resulting from physical, biogenic and postdepositional diagenetic processes that remobilized and resuspended the metal from deeper sediments. A strong positive correlation was observed between the Hg and clay fraction content of the sediments, while the correlations of Hg with Al, Fe and Mn were poor. Based on the index of geoaccumulation (I geo) and effects range-low (ER-L) value, it is considered that the sediments are less polluted and thus there is less chance of ecotoxicological risk to organisms living in sediments. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.

Environmental Geology

Mercury enrichments in core sediments in Hugli-Matla-Bidyadhari estuarine complex, north-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal and their ecotoxicological significance

The aim of this paper was to obtain the first screening ecotoxicological risk evaluation in the Sunderban wetlands, the largest prograding delta in the estuarine phase of the River Ganges. The characterization of exposure was conducted by means of an extensive survey of several persistent organic pollutants (PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, PBDEs, HCHs, HCB) measured in seven core sediments from the Sunderban wetlands, obtaining a dataset with more than 2200 analyses. The pollutant effects were assessed by the use of three different sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) previously developed in the literature to evaluate toxicity induced in sediment-dwelling organisms. The three different approaches chosen for risk assessment of the Sunderban were the consensus SQGs obtained by TEC (threshold effect concentration), PEC (probable effect concentration) and EEC (extreme effect concentration), the threshold/probable effect level (TEL/PEL) approach and, finally, the ERL-ERM guidelines, including the m-ERM-Q (mean ERM quotient). The evaluation of the toxicity induced by a mixture of the target pollutants indicated the importance of γ-HCH contamination in the Sunderban sediments despite the very low concentrations measured in core sediments. A different sensitivity for toxicity assessment due to quality guidelines was obtained, as the consensus SQGs based on TEC were less conservative and protective than the TEL and ERL approaches, while the use of m-ERM-Q seems to be the most powerful tool to predict the toxicity related to a contaminant mixture. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of sediment quality guidelines for toxicity assessment in the Sunderban wetlands (Bay of Bengal, India)

The paper presents the first document regarding concentration, distribution and possible sources of selected trace elements (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, Co, Ni, Pb, Al, B and Ba) in core sediments (&lt; 63 μ particle size) from the lower stretch of Hugli (Ganges) estuary, northeast coast of Bay of Bengal by ICP-AES and EDXRF to evaluate geochemical processes influencing their distribution and possible environmental consequences. The levels of elements showed a wide range of variations in different core depths, in upper and lower intertidal zones as well as among three sampling stations. The most interesting feature of the study is the downward increase of concentrations of majority of the elements reaching overall maximum values at a depth of 20-28 cm in upper littoral zone of the site located in the extreme downstream stretch of the estuary. Values of organic carbon showed very strong positive correlations with most of the elements as revealed by correlation matrix (r) values. The interelemental relationship revealed the identical behavior of element during its transport in the estuarine environment. The overall variation in concentration can be attributed to differential discharge of untreated effluents originating from industrial, agricultural, and aquacultural sources as well as from domestic sewage along with the fishing and boating activities. The resulting compositional dataset was tested by principal component analyses and cluster analyses. Pollution load index (PLI) and index of Geoaccumulation (Igeo) revealed overall low values but the enrichment factors (EFs) for Pb were typically high for all the stations. The mean concentrations of Zn and to some extent Cu exceeded the Effects Range-Low (ER-L) values in the majority of the cases indicating that there may be some ecotoxicological risk to organisms living in sediments. The concentration of the trace elements reported in this work is useful as baselines for comparison in future sediment quality studies. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Journal	Data powered by TypesetEnvironmental Earth Sciences
Publisher	Data powered by TypesetSPRINGER
ISSN	1866-6280