A Systematic Review on Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediment, Water, and Different Faunal Groups Inhabiting Marine Waters of India: Current Status, Ecological Risk Assessment, and Future Prospective

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination causes potential threats to biodiversity and food safety due to rapid urbanization and the rapid enhancement of the human population. The current review encompasses 274 articles from 1973 to 2024, focusing on heavy metal contamination in sediment, water, and faunal groups in India's marine environment. Analysis reveals a surge in publications, particularly between 2016 and 2020 and 2011 and 2015. The maximum number of articles on heavy metal contamination in sediments, water, and faunal groups was recorded in the State of Tamil Nadu. Out of nine analytical techniques used, AAS and ICP-MS were recorded predominantly. The heavy metal contamination varied across sediments, water, and faunal groups due to different degrees of anthropogenic pressure and geographic conditions. This highlights that sediment and water act as primary sinks of heavy metal accumulation, evidenced by biomagnification in mollusks, crabs, and fishes, indicating potential risk to seafood safety. Findings of pollution indices such as CF, Cd, mCd, PLI, Igeo, Er, PN, and RI revealed significant contamination in industrially influenced regions. Collectively, the review highlighted the spatial and temporal variability in heavy metal contamination linked to anthropogenic pressure, which emphasizes the urgent need for region-specific targeted monitoring strategies, strict control policies, and mitigation approaches to safeguard the marine biodiversity and achieve the clean coast concept in India.