Assessment of physicochemical, metal ion and pesticide residual contamination of groundwater in the nearby areas of the paper industry

摘要

Abstract Water is the main source for the survival of ecosystems and all living organisms because of its hectic agricultural and industrial activities and increased urban activities. Keeping in mind the anthropogenic activities in the East Godavari region, it is proposed to characterize the groundwater collected from the nearby areas of the paper industry, which is located in the vicinity of agricultural activity areas to assess the groundwater for the metal and pesticidal contamination status. The groundwater was characterized for physicochemical parameters viz., pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were measured by digital meters; Total Alkalinity (TA), Total Hardness (TH), Carbonate, Bicarbonate, Chloride, Calcium, Magnesium were measured by titrimetry; Sulphate and phosphate were measured by spectrophotometry; nitrate by ion selective electrode; and Sodium and Potassium by flame photometer to assess chemical contamination. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy was used to assess the toxicity of metal ions such as Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, As, and Hg by the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy technique (ICP-OES) technique to assess the metal toxicity of groundwater. Irrigation parameters viz. Percent Sodium (Na), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC), Kelly’s ratio (KR), and Magnesium Hazard (MH) were determined to verify the suitability of water for irrigation purposes. Because the industrial unit is located in the vicinity of agricultural areas, the water may be contaminated with pesticide residues. Hence these water were further analyzed for pesticide residues that can influence the water quality. The results revealed that higher parametric values of EC, TDS, TH, TA, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium and Chloride contributed to chemical contamination and made the water unsuitable for drinking and domestic purposes. The water was found to have higher levels of arsenic indicating arsenic contamination. The concentration of pesticide residues was within the permissible limits indicating that the water was free from pesticidal contamination.