Mapping trace metal footprints: Distribution, sources, and risk assessment in coastal sediments near a heavy industrial zone in Bangladesh

Md Samrat Mohay Menul Islam; Sreebash Chandra Bhattacharjee; Kaiser Mahmood Fahim; Md Ashraful Islam; M A A Shofi Uddin Sarkar; Mahbub Alam; Md Rezaul Karim; Dipankar Chakraborty

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117405

Mapping trace metal footprints: Distribution, sources, and risk assessment in coastal sediments near a heavy industrial zone in Bangladesh

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Dec 10:211:117405. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117405. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Md Samrat Mohay Menul Islam¹, Sreebash Chandra Bhattacharjee², Kaiser Mahmood Fahim³, Md Ashraful Islam², M A A Shofi Uddin Sarkar⁴, Mahbub Alam², Md Rezaul Karim⁵, Dipankar Chakraborty²

Affiliations

¹ Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) Chittagong Laboratories, Chittagong 4220, Bangladesh; Institute of Technology Transfer & Innovation (ITTI), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh. Electronic address: mmisamrat@bcsir.gov.bd.
² Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) Chittagong Laboratories, Chittagong 4220, Bangladesh.
³ Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (ACCE), University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh.
⁴ Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) Chittagong Laboratories, Chittagong 4220, Bangladesh; Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
⁵ Institute of Technology Transfer & Innovation (ITTI), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh.

PMID: 39662182
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117405

Abstract

This study investigated nine trace metals (Cr, Co, Cu, Cd, Ni, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Pb) concentrations of coastal sediments adjacent to a heavily industrialized area of Bangladesh using AAS. The most prevalent metals were zinc, with lesser amounts of Cd and Co. Pb, and Cd levels were higher than world standards, with a considerable enrichment of Pb at station 9. Ecological risk assessments showed moderate to high contamination, particularly by Pb and Cd. The Nemerow integrated pollution index demonstrated that overall pollution was low, but the levels about Cd were still concerning. All stations had hazard indices below 1 but chronic exposure to Ni, presents grounds for concern. Industry, urbanization, traffic, and agricultural runoff along with lithogenic sources have been identified to be the main sources of pollution using receptor modeling. The outcomes underscore the urgency that management measures must be taken to safeguard ecosystem and public health.

Keywords: Ecological risk; Monte Carlo simulation; Positive matrix factorization; Sediment contamination; Trace metals.