Dissolved inorganic phosphorus and nitrogenous compounds in the sediments off Bombay and Gulf of Kutch

Abstract

Distribution of interstitial phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonia and adsorbed phosphate in the sediments near Bombay and Gulf of Kutch areas were studied. The fractionation of phosphorus and nitrogenous compounds in the sediments seems to be related to the texture of the sediments and their proximity to the coast. High concentration of adsorbed phosphate was found near Bombay, at the mouth of Gulf of Cambay and in the Central Gulf of Kutch. In general, the interstitial phosphate of the sediments was higher in the Gulf of Kutch. Among the nitrogenous compounds, ammonia was dominant in the interstitial waters. The variance in the levels of these compounds in the sediments and in the overlying waters suggests controlled exchange of the compounds between the mud water and surface