Trace metals contamination in different compartments of the Sundarbans mangrove: A review

Abstract

This review study aimed to decipher distribution of trace metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni, Mn, V, and Zn) in different compartments and human health risk in the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystems. The literature suggested relatively higher contamination of soils and sediments than fish, crustaceans, and water. Cd, Fe, Ni, and Pb are most likely to accumulate in roots of mangrove trees, while Al, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Zn tend to accumulate in the leaves. According to human health risk studies, fish consumption is the main route of trace metals exposure to human. Majority of the studies conducted in the Indian Sundarbans; whereas, in Bangladesh part, there is an evident lack of such kind of studies. Finally, this review highlights the foremost data and research gaps, which will help to refine the risk of trace metals and scarcity of researches in the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem.

Keywords: Bangladesh; Fauna; Flora; Human; India; Sediments.