Water and Sediment Quality Assesment of Poonthura Backwater in the Southwest Coast of India

The fate and effect of different pollutants entering into the estuaries can be obtained from the existing physico-chemical parameters and it is worthwhile to acquire the hydrographical features of the estuaries at different seasons. This determines the tropic dynamics of the water body. The present study has been made to detail the hydro-geo dynamics of Poonthura estuary. Sewage and retting materials were the main sources of Poonthura estuary. The physico-chemical parameters analyzed include temperature, pH, salinity and alkalinity and dissolved oxygen. The toxic gases hydrogen sulphide, ammonia nitrogen and nutrients viz. nitrite-nitrogen, phosphate phosphorous and silicate-silicon of water samples and the sediment parameters viz. organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus. From the present study the parameters which are unsuitable for the healthy environment increases during premonsoon due to concentration of pollutants. The winter season showed fewer nutrients with normal level of dissolved oxygen.