Ecological Assessment for Water Quality of Bhavanapadu (Mangrove) Swamps of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, East Coast of India

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Krishna Mohan, G.V. | Rao, K. Kameswara | Prasada, P.V.V.

Affiliations: National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur – 440 020, India | Department of Environmental Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam – 530 003, India

Note: [] Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: This paper examined nutrient dissolved metal concentration in Bhavanapadu mangrove ecosystem at North Coastal Andhra Pradesh in the east coast of India – the area studied. Surface water samples were collected from the different regions of mangrove-creek complex during the post-monsoon season. There was distinct variation in chemical constituents of water among the creek, mangrove and bay region. Physicochemical parameters like pH, EC and TDS and nutrients like NO_3 and PO_4 varied significantly among three sectors. The cations like K^+, Ca^{2+} and NH_4 and anions like SO_4^{2-}, HCO_3^- and SiO_2 didn't showed any significant variation. There is high concentration of dissolved metal in this mangrove system. The above fact will reveal that mangrove is facing severe threat due to industrial pollution. The metals, Cu, Zn and Co showed higher affinity, while Pb and Cr also result in strong coupling with each other.

Keywords: Water quality, heavy metals (water, sediment), estuary, mangrove, India, geochemistry, stratification, coastal area, pollution, surface sediment

Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 71-77, 2012