Water Quality and Heavy Metal Load in Water and Sediments of Behlol Nullah, a Tributary of River Tawi, Jammu (J & K), India

Abstract

Behlol nullah is an important tributary of river Tawi and its water quality is the major cause of concern because it receives untreated sewage as well as industrial waste from Gangyal and Bari Brahamana industrial complexes. A current effort is underway to examine the water quality and heavy metal load in the water and sediments. With various anthropogenic activities in mind, this water body has been divided into three stations namely Station-I, Station II and Station III, where Station I receives industrial effluents directly from Gangyal industrial area through Gadigarh nullah, Station II is situated downstream about 400 metres away from the site where industrial waste is directly drained into the nullah and station III is located at chatha around 6.6 kilometres away from station II and this station is devoid of any anthropogenic impacts. Standard procedures were used to analyse physicochemical parameters such as air temperature, water temperature, pH, DO, FCO2, Carbonates, Bicarbonates, Chlorides, Calcium, Magnesium, BOD, Nitrates, Phosphates and Sulphates in both water and sediments. Based on WQI score, the results of this investigation revealed variances in water quality. AAS was used to assess the level of pollution in the water and sediments of Behlol nullah for the heavy metals Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb. Heavy metal concentrations in sediments were found to be greater than in water, with the sequence of Fe>Zn>Cu>Pb in water and Fe>Cu>Zn>Pb in sediments. However, Fe was found to be highest in both water and sediments at all the study sites, and some heavy metal concentrations was found to be beyond the WHO- recommended tolerable level, indicating that this water body needs immediate attention.