Water Practice and Technology (May 2023)
Quality deterioration of an Indian urban water source near an open dumping site
Abstract
In developing countries, the stress of drinking water is often due to the increase in population, and rivers are the most important source of water. In this study, the pollution of the Kadambrayar River, located in southern India, was evaluated. The river flows through major establishments in the city, and an open dumping site is located near its bank. The river was infested with water hyacinth, which is considered a bioindicator of pollution in water bodies. Sixteen water quality parameters were analyzed across eight sampling stations in the river and compared with the standard limits as per IS 10500:2012 and IS 2296:1992, WHO, ICMR. It was found that parameters such as DO, BOD, and Coliforms did not comply with the limits at any of the stations. The heavy metals were also analyzed for water and sediment samples, in which the concentrations of arsenic in water were seven times higher and chromium was 50 times higher than the national standard limit. Thus, it can be concluded that the quality of this drinking water source is declining abruptly, especially downstream near the dumpsite, affecting the ecosystem as well as human health when exposed to carcinogenic metals. HIGHLIGHTS The river Kadambrayar is an important drinking water source for the surrounding urbanizing region.; The river is infested with water hyacinth, which is a bioindicator of pollution.; More than 500 MPN/100mL of coliforms are present in the river at all stations.; The highest BOD of 228 mg/L and the lowest DO concentration was 0 mg/L for samples from a drain that carried the effluent from the industries to the river.; The highest arsenic and chromium contamination in sediment and water samples was obtained downstream near the open dumping site.; Exposure to heavy metal-contaminated drinking water can cause skin disorders, and cancer in humans and also threaten the survival of aquatic biodiversity.;
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