Data for: Heavy metal pollutants and their spatial distribution in surface sediments from Thondi coast, Palk Bay, South India
Description
The concentration of heavy metals and their spatial distribution in surface sediments (24 samples, 8 transects) collected from the Thondi coast, Palk Bay, South India were analysed in this study. The sediment grain size, pH, EC, and heavy metal concentrations (Mn, Fe, Cr, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cu, and Pb) were determined and the values for the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), potential contamination index (Cp), potential ecological risk index (PERI), contamination factor (CF), modified contamination degree (mCd), degree of contamination (Cd), and potential contamination factors (Cp) were calculated based on their background values to determine the pollution level of the study area.
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Steps to reproduce
Approximately 1 g of surface sediment sample was treated with HNO3, 30% H2O2 and HCl to determine the concentration of elements (Mn, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn) according to the 3050B method (USEPA 1996). After sample preparation, the measurement of metal concentrations was performed using IC-PMS located at the NGRI-CSIR analytical instrument facility in Hyderabad.