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Source apportionment and pollution evaluation of heavy metals in water and sediments of Buriganga River, Bangladesh, using multivariate analysis and pollution evaluation indices

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 187, Article number: 4075 (2015) Cite this article

Abstract

Concentrations of heavy metals in water and sediment samples of Buriganga River in the capital city Dhaka, Bangladesh, were studied to understand the level of heavy metals and their source apportionment. The results showed that the mean concentrations of heavy metals both in water and sediment samples were very high and, in most cases, exceeded the permissible limits recommended by the Bangladesh government and other international organizations. Significantly higher concentrations of Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Cd were found in sediment samples. However, average concentrations of metals both in water and sediment samples were above the effect range median. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and degree of contamination (C d) yielded different results in water samples despite significant correlations between them. The heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) showed strong correlations with HPI and C d and provided better assessment of pollution levels. The enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I geo) showed the elevated value of Cr, Pb, and Cd in access of background values. The measured elements were subjected to positive matrix factorization (PMF) and examining correlations in order to explain the content, behavior, and source apportionment of metals. PMF resulted in a successful partitioning of variances into sources related to background geochemistry and contaminant influences. However, the PMF approach successfully demarcated the major sources of metals from tannery, paint, municipal sewage, textiles, and agricultural activities.

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Acknowledgments

The first author acknowledged the financial support from the Japanese Government (MONBUKAGAKUSHO Scholarship 2010). Sincere gratitude is due to the Department of Earth Sciences, Okayama University, Japan, and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka office, for their technical supports and laboratory facilities.

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Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 1-1, Tsushima, Naka, 3-Chome, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan

    Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan & Shigeyuki Suzuki

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh

    Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan

  3. National Nuclear Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana

    Samuel B. Dampare

  4. Chemistry Division, Dhaka Atomic Energy Center, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    M. A. Islam

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  1. Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan
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  2. Samuel B. Dampare
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  3. M. A. Islam
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  4. Shigeyuki Suzuki
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Correspondence to Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan.

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Bhuiyan, M.A.H., Dampare, S.B., Islam, M.A. et al. Source apportionment and pollution evaluation of heavy metals in water and sediments of Buriganga River, Bangladesh, using multivariate analysis and pollution evaluation indices. Environ Monit Assess 187, 4075 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4075-0

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Keywords

  • Positive matrix factorization
  • Heavy metals
  • Pollution load index
  • Source apportionment
  • Buriganga River