Seasonal Variations of Heavy Metal Pollution in the Sediment of Visakhapatnam Coast, India

Visakhapatnam harbor is one of the Indian leading port for which substantial industrial expansion is proposed over the next decade. However, there has been little attempt to date to assess the extent of contamination in sediment and to characterize the potential impacts of contaminants on marine sediment. In this research work author was observed different sediment qualities in different seasons. The results shows metal levels followed by Post monsoon > Monsoon > Premonsoon during the study period respectively concentration (μg/g) of Fe 590.86 ±91.948, 398.926 ±78.101, 242.375 ±46.632, Zn 333.44 ±68.064, 253.168 ±45.819, 174.331 ±26.768, Pb 60.344 ±8.510, 39.961 ±8.650, 19.177 ±4.981, 39.961 ±8.650 and Cd 0.966 ±0.156, 0.739 ±0.113, 0.254 ±0.071, in spite concentration of metal potential significant at P< 0.05 level. These metals variation may be due to the several anthropogenic (urban, agricultural and industrial) activities. In addition, Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) has shown the sediment quality of Igeo >5 which are very strongly polluted quality for Cd, Pb and Zn. The metal (Fe) has shown the sediment quality Igeo <1 (unpolluted to moderately polluted). These variations were observed due to chemical effluents, solid wastes and debris which entered into the sea from the shore through the runoff of urban, industrial drain and sea tidal waves.