The surface water pH, dissolved lead and biologically available lead in the surface sediment were monitored for 30 years in three different stations of coastal West Bengal namely Shankarpur, Kakdwip and Ajmalmari. The gradual decrease of surface water pH played a significant role in the process of compartmentation of heavy metals in the coastal ecosystem. It is observed that lowering of pH triggered the process of transference of heavy metals from the sediment to the overlying aqueous system. The correlation coefficient values (for Shankarpur, dissolved Pb × sediment Pb =-0.888, p < 0.01; for Kakdwip, dissolved Pb × sediment Pb =-0.817, p < 0.01 and for Ajmalmari, dissolved Pb × sediment Pb =-0.8810, p < 0.01, respectively), support our findings. The role of climate change induced acidification is confirmed through this study.
Saha A. & Mitra A., 2021. Chapter 14 – Inter-relationship between dissolved lead and sediment lead in the backdrop of climate change induced acidification. In: Saha A. & Mitra A. (Eds.), Natural Resources And Their Ecosystem Services (Vol. II), pp. 196-200. Bangalore: HSRA. Chapter.
