Heavy Metals Contamination of Sediment and Impact on Ecosystem of Pulicat Lake; South East Coast of India

Abstract

The coastal water bodies include estuaries, lagoons, backwaters etc. have been encroached upon world over for human activities like horbours, ports, fish landing centers, settlements, thus causing enormous degree of pollution in these environments. Coastal lagoon formation where by a rising sea floods lowland areas. The present study area i.e. Pulicat Lake is located along the south Andhra coast receives lot of aqua and agricultural effluents and thus provides an ideal site for pollution studies. Pulicat Lake is a brackish water Lake (Mixed with fresh water and salt water). Coastal lagoons are shallow, generally averaging less than 2–3min depth, but depths of up to 30m have been recorded in some tidal channels of these systems.