ScienceAsia 20 (1994): 009-022 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.1994.20.009

HISTORY OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN BANG PAKONG RIVER ESTUARY, THAILAND

V. CHEEVAPORN,¹ G.S. JACINTO² AND M.L. SANDIEGO-McGLONNE²

ABSTRACT: Sediment cores were taken from the Bang Pakong River estuary. Trace metal concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer for Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr and Ni. Enriched concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn were observed at the top portions of sediment cores. On applying the sedimentation rates found by the Pb-210 method, these layers were found to correspond to the . past 30 years. Slight variation with depth in the sedimentary column were found for Cd, Cr and Ni. The anthropogenic fluxes of heavy metals to the Bang Pakong River sediments appear to be similar to the US offshore sediments.

Download PDF

1 Department of Aquatic Science, Burapha University, Bangsaen, Chonburi 20131, Thailand.
2 Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Q.C.1101, Philippines.

Received January 4, 1994