3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
[ACG31-07] Geotraces and geophysical studies of surface sediment along the Bay of Bengal Coast in Bangladesh
Keywords:Geotraces , sediment, Bay of Bengal, Arsenic , Heavy metals
The enrichment of trace elements in surface sediment in the Bengal Coast link to major rivers suggest that the discharged river sediment to the coastal bay serves as a major geotraces source and heavy metals reservoir. The Bay of Bengal is about 2090 km long and 1610 km wide, bordered on the north by Bangladesh. The coastal zone of Bangladesh lies within the tropical zone between 21-23° N and 89-93° E. The coast of Bangladesh is about 700 km long. Bangladesh (Bengal Basin) lies within the floodplain of the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers (GBR).
As one of the world’s largest river systems, the GBR transports the single largest sediment flux and the fourth highest water discharge to the oceans. The Bengal Basin is one of the geologically youngest and tectonically active drainage regimes of the world and draws broad international interest because of its relation to three spectaculars geologic system- the world’s largest organic system, the Himalayan Range; the system, which is drained by the GBR to develop the world largest Fluvio-deltaic system, the Bengal Basin and the world’s largest submarine system. The purpose of this study is to describe the geotraces and geophysical states of surface sediment and distribution of heavy metals in GBR mouth of the Bengal Coast, Bangladesh. The Bengal Coast link to GBR system become increasingly vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts, including land use change, industrial pollution, natural pollution (e.g. arsenic from Himalayan Range), and agricultural runoff. These and other anthropogenic impacts to a Bengal Coastal sight leads to potentially toxic concentrations of metals (e.g. As, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Fe), or of macronutrients leading to eutrophication.
As one of the world’s largest river systems, the GBR transports the single largest sediment flux and the fourth highest water discharge to the oceans. The Bengal Basin is one of the geologically youngest and tectonically active drainage regimes of the world and draws broad international interest because of its relation to three spectaculars geologic system- the world’s largest organic system, the Himalayan Range; the system, which is drained by the GBR to develop the world largest Fluvio-deltaic system, the Bengal Basin and the world’s largest submarine system. The purpose of this study is to describe the geotraces and geophysical states of surface sediment and distribution of heavy metals in GBR mouth of the Bengal Coast, Bangladesh. The Bengal Coast link to GBR system become increasingly vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts, including land use change, industrial pollution, natural pollution (e.g. arsenic from Himalayan Range), and agricultural runoff. These and other anthropogenic impacts to a Bengal Coastal sight leads to potentially toxic concentrations of metals (e.g. As, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Fe), or of macronutrients leading to eutrophication.