Trace Metals Concentration in Water and Sediment off Bangladesh Coast in the Bay of Bengal

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Chowdhury, S.M. Rashedul Alam | Zafar, Mohammad

Affiliations: Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, University of Chittagong, Chittagong – 4331, Bangladesh

Note: [] Corresponding Author. E-mail: rac.imsf@gmail.com

Abstract: The Coastal-Oceanic ecosystem of Bangladesh contains a highly functional and structurally diverse ecology. The present study focusses an overview of trace metals concentration in subsurface water and surficial sediment off Bangladesh coast in the Bay of Bengal. Samples were collected during spring on March and April 2007 and the concentration of trace metals in water were recorded as Ca 593.71 ± 59.28 μg/L, Mg 1029.02 ± 104.77 μg/L, Cu 0.56 ± 0.22 μg/L, Fe 11.84 ± 2.77 μg/L, Mn 4.74 ± 2.24 μg/L and Zn 1.66 ± 1.18 μg/L and in sediment Ca 10.54 ± 2.50 μg/g, Mg 5.55 ± 1.42 μg/g, Cu 10.59 ± 7.47 mg/g, Fe 20.50 ± 7.42 mg/g, Mn 29.55 ± 7.91 mg/g and Zn 0.59 ± 0.17 mg/g respectively. Correlation co-efficient showed that trace metal in water and sediment were significantly interrelated. One-way ANNOVA showed that there is no significant differences in trace metals distribution in water and sediment throughout the Bangladesh coast. The finding of the present study is a baseline reference for developing water and sediment quality index of the coastal oceanic zone of Bangladesh.

Keywords: Trace metals, water, sediment, Bangladesh coast, Bay of Bengal

Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 71-76, 2013