Occurrence of heavy metals in Ganga canal water at Haridwar (Uttarakhand), India: A case study

Abstract

The present investigation was framed to assess the contamination of heavy metals in Ganga canal water at Haridwar (Uttarakhand). The samples of Ganga canal water were collected from five sampling sites namely Bhimgoda Barrage, Haridwar (origin point); Premnagar Ashram Ghat, Haridwar; Pathari Power Plant, Bahadrabad; Rail Bridge, Roorkee and Uttam Sugar Mills Limited, Narsan (exit point). The samples were analyzed for seven metals viz., copper, manganese, cadmium, lead, zinc, chromium and iron in Ganga canal water monthly during March, 2014 to August, 2014. The concentration of manganese was found greater than its desirable limit (0.1 mg/L), while iron was observed more than its permissible limit (0.3 mg/L) according to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications. The water quality data was further analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for monthly and spatial variations. The ANOVA analysis revealed that the contents of different metals such as copper, manganese, lead, zinc, chromium and iron were found statistically significant (P≤0.05) as per temporal study. These monthly variations in Ganga Canal water quality parameters might be ascribed due to the anthropogenic and hydro-geological activities. However, none of the metals showed significant site variation at any of the sampling site of Ganga Canal. Therefore, the present study emphasized the need of regular monitoring of Ganga canal water to avoid the contamination of heavy metals in the water.