Mangrove (Avicennia marina) parts as proxies in marine pollution of Nizampatnam Bay, East Coast of India: An integrated approach

This study focuses on the assessment of heavy metals (HM) concentration and pollution status of the Nizampatnam Bay, east coast of India, from mangrove plant parts (roots and leaves) and sediment samples. This is the first of its kind work (comparison of data from both mangrove and sediment samples) from the third largest mangrove ecosystem in India. To carry out this work, plant (Avicennia mariana) and sediment samples were collected from five stations. The collected samples were carefully subjected to the laboratory methods and heavy metal concentrations were determined by using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICPOES). The obtained results were juxtaposed with the optimal values of world surface pollution rock averages, and noticed heavy metals such as Cd and Cu exceed the optimal values. To know the contamination levels and the chemical elements that contribute to the pollution, various environmental indices, viz., contamination factor, enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, and pollution load index were, carried out on the sediment sample data. To ascertain the mangrove plant's capacity (in the study area) for accumulation and translocation of heavy metals in different parts of the plants, factors such as bio-concentration and translocation were calibrated.

Automated summary

This study examines the concentration and pollution status of heavy metals in mangrove plant parts and sediment samples in Nizampatnam Bay, India. It is the first study to compare data from both mangrove and sediment samples in this region. The heavy metal concentrations were determined using ICPOES, and it was found that Cd and Cu exceeded the optimal values. Various environmental indices were used to assess contamination levels and identify contributing chemical elements in the sediment samples. Factors such as bio-concentration and translocation were calibrated to determine the mangrove plant's capacity for heavy metal accumulation and translocation in different parts of the plants.