Physicochemical and correlation studies in saltpans at Kelambakkam coastal area, Tamilnadu, India

Abstract

Dynamic hyposaline ecosystem are influenced with variation in physicochemical parameters and flora and fauna in the extreme conditions. Therefore the present investigation was carried out in the Kelabakkam saltpans (such as Reservior tank, Evaporation tank and Consation tank). About five samples were collected from each sites and were subjected to various physico chemical parameters and correlation studies were carried out as per standard methods and the results are tabulated and interpreted. The pH, temperature and salinity ranged from 6.38 to 8.11, 21⁰C to 28.8⁰C and  35 psu to 215 psu, respectively during the study period. The texture of the sediment samples was mostly sandy clay loam and considerable amount of heavy metals was present in all the samples. The texture of soil were sand, silt and clay wherein sand ranged from 59.7% to 71.9%, silt from 21.5% to 29.4% and clay from 6.4% to 11.9%, respectively. The correlation co-efficient analysis of physicochemical properties of the sediment samples of reservoir (site Nos. 1 to 6), crystallization (site Nos. 7 to 11) and evaporation (site Nos. 12 to 18) ponds in the Kelambakkam saltpan revealed that there was significant positive correlation between them during the period of study.