Research Article Open Access

STATISTICAL EVALUATION OF HYDROCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF THE DAMODAR RIVER WATER NEAR DURGAPUR INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Abstract

The present research work deals with the characterization of industrial effluents released from various industries and the impact of Damodar river water quality with respect to major chemical constituents along with heavy metals. Damodar river water is being extensively harnessed from both of its banks for domestic, industrial and irrigation purposes. Various anthropogenic activities like mining, ultimate disposal of untreated waste effluents containing toxic metals from different industries resulted in deterioration of water quality rendering serious environmental problems. The objective of the study is to understand the elemental composition of the river water, the influence of anthropogenic activities on riverine chemistry and the transport of metals from effluent channels to the river. Various physico-chemical parameters were determined following the standard methods of APHA (1998). The obtained data were subject to statistical analysis to study the correlation and factor analysis among all the parameters. The level of Cd in the effluent channel or in the river samples was within the range of the tolerance limits for industrial effluent discharged to inland surface waters according to Indian standards (IS 2490 Part I: 1981) and WHO drinking water standards (2006). Pb concentration in the tamla nala is extremely high with a mean of 0.535 mg/L which is far greater than the IS discharge limits of inland surface waters. The Pb concentration at the discharge point of IISCO and tamla nala exceed the drinking water standards. The substantial difference in the parameters analysed for effluent and river water revealed a significant degradation of the water quality at effluent discharge point.

U.S. BANERJEE AND S. GUPTA