Pollution

The customary environment of the Sundarbans mangrove forest is under threat due to human interference. The wetlands, ponds, rivers, and creeks of the Heritage Forest have become vulnerable to pollution from oil spillage, heavy metals, microplastics, and agrochemicals. Such pollution may have changed the mangrove ecosystem’s biogeochemistry. The environment is particularly endangered by inorganic, organic, and emerging pollutants, such as trace metals, PCBs, PAHs, OCPs, microplastics, etc. This chapter intends to interpret the above pollutants, their origins, fates, impacts on various compartments, and hazards to human health. Soils and sediments are substantially more contaminated than fish, crustaceans, and water. Most importantly, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Zn tend to concentrate in the leaves, whereas Cd, Fe, Ni, and Pb are more likely to accumulate in the roots of mangrove trees. Abundances of POPs in surface water, sediment, zooplankton, bivalves, and fishes are of real concern for human exposure. The bioaccumulation of microplastics, an emerging contaminant, and its trophic transmission among many species is noted. Fish intake is the primary pathway via which people are exposed to these chemical contaminants. Finally, this chapter focuses on historical data on pollution in the Sundarbans, which may be used to reduce the threat posed by several pollutants and make up for the dearth of studies into the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem.