WATER AND SEDIMENT QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS NEAR AN INDUSTRIAL VICINITY, VADINAR, GULF OF KACHCHH, GUJARAT, INDIA

Abstract

The present study was carried out for a period of 1 year to investigate two important biotopes along the coastal waters of Vadinar, near Jamnagar, Gujarat which is marked by oil handling ports, Single Buoy Moorings (SBMs), wastewater outlets of oil industries and significant vessel movement. Qualitative and quantitative data on coastal water quality and sediment quality were collected in order to ascertain the health of this coastal waters and to find out whether the ongoing industrial activities in this coast has any impact on these biotopes in terms of important physio-chemical characteristics. Analysis of coastal water health through examination of 9 crucial water quality parameters indicated that all the parameters are well within the prescribed limits and no gross contamination could be discerned, showing that the coastal water in and around the industrial is clean and unpolluted. Significant parameters like dissolved oxygen (5.14 mg/l), BOD (1.84 mg/l) COD (7.64 mg/l), PHc (6.59 μg/l) and Phenol (12.67 μg/l) are either comparable with the other unpolluted coastal waters or are within the prescribed limits which do not pose threat to the marine biota. Levels of three analysed sediment quality parameters namely texture (grain size analysis), Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and Petroleum Hydrocarbon (PHc) were comparable with other unpolluted coastal sediments. Petroleum Hydrocarbons (wet weight) in the sediment showed a mean value of 1.88±2.74 μg/g. In spite of pronounced coastal and port related activities, near normal levels recorded are attributable to the significant carrying capacity, direction of water current and turn-over time of water mass in the Gulf environment.