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ISSN 2063-5346
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Hydrochemistry study on Thengapattanam estuary, southwest coastal zone, Tamilnadu, India

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T. M. Sharmila*, I. Anishi Renitta
» doi: 10.48047/ecb/2023.12.10.373

Abstract

Estuaries are miraculous ecosystems making the complexity of the operating forces of both marine and fresh water. The physicochemical factors are constantly fluctuating in such ecosystem. It is important to assess the water quality parameters to determine the extent of pollution faced by a system. Estuaries are transition zones, where fresh water from river and marine water from sea mixes. Estuaries show the balance of forces between marine and fresh water, greatly influence the growth and distribution of living organism in this system. The present study has been undertaken to enlighten the influence of domestic sewage, agricultural runoff and coconut retting wastes on the Water samples were analysed for physico-chemical parameters including pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, total hardness, dissolved oxygen , BOD and anions were analysed like Ca, Mg, NO 3- , and Cl - during the different seasons of monsoon period from June - April (2021-2022). surface water temperature varied from 26.2 to 29.4°C respectively. Salinity varied from 0.5 ‰ to 11‰. pH remained alkaline throughout the study period in all the stations with maximum value during summer and minimum during post monsoon. Higher dissolved oxygen concentration was observed during monsoon season might be due to the cumulative effect of higher wind energy coupled with heavy rainfall and river inflow. BOD was high during summer season and low during post monsoon season. Concentration of nutrients showed significant spatial and temporal variations and their levels in water increased during rainy season.

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