Seasonal variation in heavy metal contamination in water and sediments of river Sabarmati and Kharicut canal at Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Abstract

The objective of the study is to reveal the seasonal variations in the river water and sediment quality with respect to heavy metal contamination. To get the extent of trace metals contamination, water and sediment samples were collected from five different sites along the course of Sabarmati River and its tributary Kharicut canal in pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The concentration of trace metals such as chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc was determined using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. The concentrations of heavy metals were found to be higher in the pre-monsoon season than in the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in water samples. The pollution load index, contamination factor and degree of contamination (C(d)) in sediments were calculated to know the extent of anthropogenic pressures. The values of C(d) clearly indicated very high degree of contamination at Kharicut canal (S-4: 32.25 and S-5: 54.52) and considerable degree of contamination at three sites of Sabarmati river viz; S-1, S-2 and S-3 with values 14.30, 14.42 and 17.21, respectively. Lead and nickel could not be traced in any of the river water samples.

Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Heavy Metals in Two Typical Chinese Rivers: Concentrations, Environmental Risks, and Possible Sources

“…The metal concentrations in the Taipu River were 1.1–3.0 times higher in the early rainy season than in the dry season, with the Cu, Mn, and Zn concentrations being more than two times higher in the early rainy season than in the dry season.The average metal concentrations in the Wusong River were 1.7–5.2 times higher in the early rainy season than in the dry season, with the Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, V, and Zn concentrations being more than two times higher in the early rainy season than in the dry season. These temporal variations in the metal concentrations were generally consistent with seasonal variations in metal concentrations that have been found in other rivers [6,7]. …”

“…The contributions of these sources are different in different regions and in different seasons, so heavy metal concentrations in surface water can vary both spatially and seasonally. Information on these variations is important for decision makers involved in environmental risk management [5,6,7,8,9]. …”

Seasonal Variation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Waters of the Ganges River (Northwestern Bangladesh)

“…As such, the lower concentrations of heavy metals during the monsoon may be due to the dilution effect of pollutant [35,36]. These temporal variations in the metal concentrations were generally consistent with seasonal variations in metal concentrations that have been reported in other rivers [37,38,39]. The possible reasons for higher concentration of metals at Site-2 followed by Site-3 might be due to presence of large drains at those sites that regularly empty their contents without treatment into the river.…”

Water Quality in Tortum Stream and its Tributaries (Erzurum/Turkey)

“…According to Kıvrak and Gürbüz (2010) Heavy metals are widespread pollutants of great environmental concern as they are non-degradable, toxic and persistent with serious ecological ramifications on aquatic ecology (Aboud and Nandini 2009). Industrial and agricultural activities often results in introduction of nutrients and potentially hazardous levels of heavy metal into the river ecosystem (Kumar et al 2013). But during this study, whereas the lowest Iron level in the Tortum Stream was found as 0.01±0.00 mgL -1 at S1, S2, S5, S8 (T2) and S9 (T3) was found as 1.08±0.01 mgL -1 at S4 where the discharge of agricultural effluent is the point source of pollution (Table 2).…”