The effect of ship scrapping industry and its associated wastes on the biomass production and biodiversity of biota in in situ condition at Alang

The main pollutants for the ship scrapping industry and its associated wast es at Alang are heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbon and bacterial contamina tions, The concentration of iron, manganese, cobalt, copper, zinc, lead, ca dmium, nickel and mercury were 25 to 15 500% more at nearshore station of A lang as compared to control site at Piram, The concentration of heavy metal s in the nearshore station of Alang was always higher than its concentratio n at 10 km away. The concentration of petroleum hydrocarbon was 16 973 and 53 900% more at the nearshore and 10 km away respectively at Alang as compa red to controls, The concentration of chlorophyll-a and phaeophytin were in non-detectable range (< 0.2 and < 0.1 mg m(3)) or much lower concentration at both the stations of Alang as compared to controls. The total viable co unt, total coliform, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyt icus and other Vibrio, Streptococcus faecalis, Shigella, Salmonella, Proteu s, and Klebsiella were always higher (17%-605%) at the nearshore station of Alang as compared to control, Similar trend was observed at 10 km away fro m Alang, Bacteria in sediment also showed the same pattern of variation. Ph ytoplankton counts at the nearshore station and 10 km away from Alang were only slightly raised. In contrast to phytoplankton, the zooplankton showed considerable reduction of growth (-10 to -66%) at Alang, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.