Spatial distribution
and Anthropogenic imprints of La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm in Alluvium Sediments of Gangetic
Plain, India
Yadav Jitendra Kumar
Disaster Advances; Vol. 18(10); 22-33;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/1810da022033; (2025)
Abstract
The primary study is based on anthropogenic imprints of Light Rare Earth Elements
(LREE) such as La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm, which have become emerging contaminants due
to their widespread use in high technologies in recent years. The main objective
of present research is to investigate the spatial distribution and anthropogenic
imprints of these elements in river sediments of the Gangetic Plain. In the Gomati
River, there is a distinct downstream increase in the concentration of LREE, from
339 to 1349 μg/g, identified in the biotite of the mica-rich bedload sediments.
Total average LREE content in suspended sediments of the Gomati (192.3 μg/g), the
Sai (229.0 μg/g) and the Hindon (495 μg/g) rivers were observed to be higher than
that of the Upper Continental Crust (131.6 μg/g), Average Sediments (122.9 μg/g),
World Major Rivers Suspended Sediments (148.9 μg/g) and Post-Archean Australian
Shale (166 μg/g).
The Hindon River’s suspended sediment from highly urbanized centers at Ghaziabad
(1519 μg/g) and Greater Noida (1377 μg/g) represented the extreme LREE levels. The
Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) shows a toxicity trend in these sediments: Ce>Pr>
La>Sm>Nd. Modern anthropogenic processes are responsible for the LREE enrichment
in suspended river sediments, of nearly an order of magnitude higher than in the
rivers of the Gangetic Plain. The increasing concentrations of these elements indicate
the anthropogenic activities around rivers in urban centers and need for high- level
research in the future to monitor them.
