Spatio - Temporal Variations of Heavy Metals in Edible Crabs Collected From the Lower Gangetic Delta Region

We studied the concentrations of heavy metals (Zn, Cu and Pb) in the edible crabs collected from four different stations in the lower Gangetic delta for a period of more than one decade. Same heavy metals were also monitored in the deltaic water simultaneo usly. The programme was undertaken in and around the Indian Sundarbans mangrove forest at the apex of Bay of Bengal after dividing the region into two distinct compartments. We observed significant spatio - temporal variations in dissolved heavy metal and mu scle metal of mud crab collected from four different sampling stations (two each in western and central sectors) during the study period of 12 years span (p < 0.01).