Data for: Heavy metal pollutants and their spatial distribution in surface sediments from Thondi coast, Palk Bay, South India

The concentration of heavy metals and their spatial distribution in surface sediments (24 samples, 8 transects) collected from the Thondi coast, Palk Bay, South India were analysed in this study. The sediment grain size, pH, EC, and heavy metal concentrations (Mn, Fe, Cr, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cu, and Pb) were determined and the values for the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), potential contamination index (Cp), potential ecological risk index (PERI), contamination factor (CF), modified contamination degree (mCd), degree of contamination (Cd), and potential contamination factors (Cp) were calculated based on their background values to determine the pollution level of the study area.