Comparative assessment of heavy metals in bivalve villor ita cyprinoides (Gray, 1825) of ashtamudi and vembanadu backwaters

Abstract- Rapid Ondustrialization, human population explosion and indiscriminate uasage of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture paved way to an abnormal increase in the level of heavy metal pollutants in our environment. The pollutants generated from these sources are ultimately fetched its way to rivers and finally to estuaries and coastal water bodies. Vembanad and Ashtamudi backwaters are the two prominent lakes in Kerala that forms the lifeline of various floral and faunal resources. These two water bodies are under tremendous pressure due to various anthropogenic activities that resulted in an increase in the level of pollutants to an alarming level that negatively affects the life on this ecosystem and also mankind. In this prelude, a comparative assessment of heavy metals such as Cadmium, Lead, Copper and Zinc were carried out in the water samples collected from different zones of Ashtamudi and Vembanad backwaters. The water samples were collected seasonally for a period of 1 year (Aug 2017-March 2018). The result obtained from the present study are statistically treated and extrapolated so as to unravel the mysteries behind the heavy metal concentration in water samples of these two lakes.