AI-driven prediction of soil trace metal contamination and ecological health in the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem: Implications for nature-based solutions and the UN SDGs.
Mondal I, Hossain SA, Alshehri F, Das A, Jose F
Soil Health
Mangrove roots are one of nature's most powerful water filters, and as these forests become increasingly metal-contaminated, the seafood, coastal drinking water, and storm protection millions of people depend on quietly degrades with them.
Scientists studied one of the world's largest mangrove forests — the Sundarbans, straddling India and Bangladesh — and measured how heavy metals like lead, zinc, and copper have been building up in the soil over nearly three decades. They found the metals follow the rhythm of the monsoon: they concentrate before the rains, flush out during the rainy season, then accumulate again afterward. Using an advanced AI model, the team can now predict where contamination will be worst in the future, which is critical for protecting these forests that shelter coastlines and store enormous amounts of carbon.
Key Findings
Eight trace metals (including lead, zinc, copper, and cadmium) were tracked across the Sundarbans from 1995 to 2024, revealing a clear seasonal cycle of pre-monsoon enrichment, monsoon dilution, and post-monsoon re-accumulation driven by hydrology.
Spatial hotspots of zinc and iron contamination are intensifying and becoming more heterogeneous over time, signaling a shift toward more complex and harder-to-manage pollution regimes.
A hybrid AI model (LASSO-GA-BPNN) outperformed conventional statistical approaches in predicting contamination patterns, offering a new forecasting tool for conservation and pollution management planning.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers tracked eight heavy metals in the Sundarbans mangrove forests over nearly 30 years, using AI models to predict future contamination. They found metal levels spike before monsoon rains, drop during them, then rebuild afterward — and hotspots are growing more complex, especially for zinc and iron.
Abstract Preview
Mangrove ecosystems serve as critical biogeochemical buffers in tropical coastal zones, yet escalating trace metal contamination increasingly threatens their ecological integrity and carbon sequest...
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A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen and remove salt, allowing them to tolerate conditions that kill most ...