Study of water quality by physicochemical analysis of a Himalayan lake of Uttarakhand, India

摘要

Water exists in many forms and is one of the most abundant compounds. Lakes are very important lend freshwater ecosystems, where the water quality is governed by many environmental and seasonal attributes Lake Bhimtal in the Kumaun region is the largest lake of Uttarakhand. Three sites according to th anthropogenic interference were selected and the study of physiochemical parameters of the surface wate was performed for a year (Jan-Dec, 2014). The range of physical properties i.e. water temperaturetransparency, electric conductivity and turbidity during the study period was 11.5 to 27.5 °C, 235-332 cm 170-185.5 pS/cm and 21-38.9 NTU respectively. Chemical parameters like pH, dissolved oxygen, free C02 total alkalinity, nitrate and phosphate levels were found to be in the range of 7.4-8.7, 6.9-9 mg/L, 0-18.1 mg/L, 75-95 mg/L, 0.3-0.5 mg N L"1 and 0.01-0.03 mg P L1 during the investigation period. The results indicate that the water is fit for recreational and domestic use but the human activitiesmust be regulatec near the lake to ensure long term utilization and preserving beauty of this lake.