Geogenic distribution and baseline concentration of heavy metals in sediments of the Ganges River, India

The search for a better understanding of heavy metal distribution in large river sediments is a major concern in the exogenic cycling of elements through fluvial processes and in assessing the effects of anthropogenic influences. From the Asian continent, the Ganges River contributes a significant amount of sediments to the world's ocean. Freshly deposited sediments of the Ganges River were analyzed from 27 locations along the 1700-km-long channel length by atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine heavy metal concentration. Total metal concentration in the