Heavy Metal Pollutants and Their Spatial Distribution in Surficial Sediments from the Gangetic Plains, Central, and Western Parts of India.

This study analyses surficial sediments for heavy metal contamination in three different zones: Western India, Ganga Plains, and Central India. To estimate the geochemical environment of the surficial soil, five heavy metals, namely Co, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb were examined. Enrichment factor (EF) indicated the highest contamination for Co which showed deficient to minimal contamination in 11 samples, moderate contamination in 11 samples, significant contamination in 16 samples and very significant contamination in 1 amongst the 39 samples from various locations in all three zones depicted. The geo-accumulation index suggests that the variability in Co observed was −1.5 to 2.68 indicating augmentation of the Co concentrations in the study areas with respect to background values. Among 39 of the total locations sampled, 20 of them fall in the category of no pollution with respect to Pollution Load Index (PLI), while 18 fall under the category of moderate pollution and one location falls under the category of heavy pollution. Although all the indices suggested that the zones have not been subjected to extreme levels of pollution yet, appropriate measures may be taken to contain further anthropogenic contamination of these soils to preserve the surficial soils and their ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]