Status of Copper and Zinc in Biotic and Abiotic Components of Karwar Waters Central West Coast of India

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to study the concentration of Copper and Zinc in the water, sediment and important edible bivalves for a period of 6 months from January 2011 to June 2011. The concentration of copper in water sample at Majali was within the permissible limit (0.05 ppm as per BIS standards), it was (0.23 ppm) in the month of March and May at Devbagh, it was beyond the permissible limit (0.05 ppm) at Majali. In the case of Zinc, the highest concentration observed during May was (0.09 ppm) at Majali and (0.07 ppm) at Devbagh which is far below the permissible limits (5.0 ppm). In case of sediment samples the concentration of Cu was within the permissible limit (which is between 2.0-4.0 mg/L as per FEPA) the highest concentration was (0.39 ppm) in the month of January at Majali and (0.238 ppm) in the month of March at Devbagh, the limit of Zn was also within the permissible limit which is (50 mg/L according to FEPA) 0.09 ppm at Majali and 0.09 ppm at Devbagh. In Paphia malabarica and Mactra violaceae, concentration of Zn and Cu was within the permissible limit ((According to Standard Oyster tissue 156a which is 66.30 ± 4.30 mg/g for Cu and 830 ± 57 mg/g for Zn) highest concentration of Cu in Paphia malabarica was observed (0.4367 ppm) in the month of January at Majali followed by (0.267 ppm) of Zn in the month of June. In Mactra violaceae, the highest concentration of Cu was recorded in the month of January (0.476 ppm) followed by (0.297 ppm) of Zn in the month of June at Majali.