Notice of RetractionWater Quality and Trophic Levels as Indicators of Anthropogenic Influences on Aquatic Environments along the Central West Coast of India

Notice of Retraction

After careful and considered review of the content of this paper by a duly constituted expert committee, this paper has been found to be in violation of IEEE´s Publication Principles.

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The present study highlights the characterization of water bodies in different aquatic environments in relation to anthropogenic influences along the central west coast of India. The physico-chemical and biological data of water generated from these environments during the period 2006-2010 have been used to define the existing water quality and their productivity status. Multivariate Statistics, Water Quality Index (WQI) and Trophic State Index (TSI) overall categorized these aquatic bodies into two types; (i) Slightly Polluted and Mesotrophic (SPM) Water and (ii) Acceptable Quality and Mesotrophic (AM) Water. Accordingly, the coastal region from off Mahim to Virar along the Maharashtra coast and the Mandovi and Zuari Rivers in Goa fall into the SPM category, whereas the coastal regions off Gojiness and Bhogat in Jamnagar; Chapora and Terekhol Rivers in Goa and the coastal region from Mangalore-Suratkal in Karnataka fall into the AM category. The dominant contaminants affecting the water quality in each of these areas have been evaluated using R-mode factor analyses. It indicated an apparent North-South gradient of the surplus of inorganic nutrients such as nitrite (NO₂), nitrate (NO₃), phosphate (PO₄), ammonia (NH₃), total phosphorous (TP), total nitrogen (TN), Petroleum hydrocarbons (PHc), Phenol, Fluoride, and the bacterial abundance. However, their elevated concentrations along the central coastal waters were found to be related to marked anthropogenic perturbations- Overall index of pollution (OIP) values were evaluated from water quality index (WQI) of each parameter, with respect to the standards provided by Central Pollution Control Board, India. The details have been discussed in the text of the paper.