Shells of aquatic freshwater gastropods as archives for heavy metal contamination history of a river-coast transition zone – Proof-of-concept study in South India (Kerala and Tamil Nadu)

• Applicants: Privatdozent Dr. Sven Sindern; Dr. Linda Taft
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions ; Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry ; Physical Geography
• Term: from 2019 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 433042881

Riverine to coastal ecosystems are particularly affected by anthropogenic emissions of heavy metals. This is highly pronounced in densely populated Asian countries showing fast evolution in the last 200 years. The applicability of freshwater gastropods shells to monitor recent to historic transfer of heavy metals to such aquatic ecosystems has so far not been investigated in detail. In this study gastropod shells contained in sedimentary sequences of the Peryiar, Adyar and Cooum rivers in South India will be sampled, taphonomically characterized and analyzed by LA-ICP-MS for trace heavy metals with high spatial resolution. Multiple and single shell sclerochronological approaches will be applied to verify the concept of using freshwater gastropod shells as environmental archives for anthropogenic heavy metal emissions in recent to historic times covering the period of fast social and industrial evolution of the last 200 years.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants