Abstract
Chinna Creek is about 5.0 km long, 300 to 500 m wide with a depth ranges from 1 to 3 m situated at the south east of Karachi. The concentrations and spatial distributions of different pollutants, including ammonia, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Cyanide, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), oil and grease (n-Hexane extract), Phenol, and Heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Pb and Ni ) were investigated in water and sediment samples collected from eight stations at Chinna Creek. The concentration of many of these pollutants was quite alarming except Cr, Pb and Ni in water and sediment samples. A total of 47 species of flora and fauna were recorded from 8 different sampling sites of Chinna Creek. Ecological survey of the benthic communities revealed that the pollutants are responsible for the degradation of natural ecosystem of the Creek, which has consequently resulted in reduced biodiversity of the ecosystem.
