Heavy Metal Estimation in Surface Sediments of Ujani Reservoir, North West of India

Abstract

The current study was focused to assess the sediment contamination of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Ti) collected from Ujani Reservoir, a tributary of Krishna River located in the industrialized region of Solapur District, Maharashtra. Samples were detected to check the potential contamination status and analyze the degree of usability of the water for domestic purposes. Assessment of seasonal variations of the metal concentrations in the sediments during the pre- monsoon and post-monsoon months showed no significant difference. Sediment contamination was calculated on the basis of Pollution Load Index (PLI), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Contamination Factor (CF) and Potential Ecological Risk Index/ (PERI). The results analyzed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) confirm that Chromium (Cr) and Mercury (Hg) were the major contaminants in the river which indicates direct input of wastes from agriculture and petroleum industries. The outcomes of the results demonstrated that the average value of two recognized heavy metals (Cr), and (Hg), exceeded the safe limits of drinking water, warning the consumption of water from the river is unsafe for domestic purposes. The high concentrations of the metals in the river water may be attributed to the sediment deposition due to man induced activities. These findings may help explicitly to develop new river management strategies and control heavy metal pollution to prevent further damage to fresh water bodies