CONTAMINATION OF RIVER GANGES: DETECTION OF TEN HEAVY METALS BY ADVANCED

TECHNIQUE

Ashutosh Kumar Sharma (II MBBS)

Subin Joy(Research Guide)

V. V. Pillay(Head)

Dept of Analytical ToxicologyAmrita Institute of Medical Sciences

Cochin, Kerala

INTRODUCTION

• GANGA (GANGES), THE MOST SACRED AND IMPORTANT RIVER OF INDIA, IS REGARDED AS THE CRADLE OF INDIAN CIVILIZATION.

• ABOUT 2506 km OF THE RIVER STREAM GIVES LIFE TO 29 CITIES, 7 TOWNS AND MORE THAN 1000 VILLAGES.

• THEY IN TURN ARE CONTAMINATING THE RIVER BY OVER 1.3 BILLION L WASTE WATER PER DAY.

• IN ADDITION, SEVERAL SMALL AND LARGE INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN DISCHARGING FILTHY EFFLUENTS INTO THIS RIVER FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.

• EVERY DAY, SCORES OF DEAD BODIES ARE BURNT ON THE BANKS, AND THE ASHES ARE SCATTERED OVER THE WATER.

• HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WASH THEMSELVES AND THEIR CLOTHES IN THIS RIVER EVERYDAY.

GANGA JALOR

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A SACRED RIVER?

NO WONDER THAT THE TITLE OF THE FOLLOWING FILM IS SO APT:

STUDY AREA

• RIVER STREAM PASSING THROUGH TWO MOST FAMOUS CITIES FOR PILGRIMS IN UTTAR PRADESH: VARANASI AND ALLAHABAD.

• IN BOTH PLACES, SEVERAL SMALL AND LARGE INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING SILK SAREE FACTORY IN VARANASI, AND FERTILISER FACTORY IN ALLAHABAD, AND MANY OTHER INDUSTRIES ARE POLLUTING THE RIVER FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.

DISPOSAL OF WASTE

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

• TO SCREEN RIVER GANGES THAT FLOWS THROUGH VARANASI AND ALLHABAD FOR THE PRESENCE AND CONCENTRATION OF TEN HEAVY METALS– ARSENIC, MERCURY, IRON, MANGANESE, ZINC,

COPPER, CADMIUM, CHROMIUM, LEAD, NICKEL.

• METHOD: INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA ATOMIC EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY (ICP-AES)IT IS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED METHOD OF ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES FOR HEAVY METALS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

• WATER SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED FROM SELECTED LOCATIONS OF THE RIVER GANGES

• DIGESTED WITH NITRIC ACID AND PERCHLORIC ACID AND

• SUBJECTED TO HEAVY METAL ANALYSIS (FOR 10

METALS) BY ICP-AES

EQUIPMENT AND CHEMICALS USED

• CONC. NITRIC ACID• CONC. PERCHLORIC ACID• BEAKERS• MICROLITRE PIPETTES-1ml• GLASS FUNNEL • CONICAL FLASK • HOT PLATE WITH A TEMPERATURE MODE• DISTILLED WATER • FILTER PAPER • ELECTRONIC BALANCE (0.00001mg Sensitivity)

PRIMARY SCREENING• pH–METER FOR WATER ANALYSIS THE NORMAL RANGE FOR pH IN SURFACE WATER

SYSTEM SHOULD BE 6.5 – 8.5. IN THE TESTED SAMPLES IT RANGED FROM 7.11 -

8.532. T.D.S. VALUE

PERMISSIBLE LIMIT SHOULD BE 500. IN THE TESTED SAMPLES IT RANGED FROM 330-5303. TURBIDITY ANALYSIS PERMISSIBLE LIMIT SHOULD BE UPTO 5 nTU. IN THE TESTED SAMPLES IT RANGED FROM 1-11

nTU

GRAPH RELATED TO pH

GRAPH RELATED TO T.D.S

050

100150200250300350400450500550

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

T.D.S

Permissible limit

GRAPH RELATED TO TURBIDITY

0123456789

101112

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Turbidity(N.T.U)

Permissible limit(N.T.U)

SECONDARY SCREENING

PREPARED SAMPLES READY FOR METAL ANALYSIS

INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA-ATOMIC EMISSION SPECTROPHOTOMETER (ICP-AES)

SAMPLES LOADED INTO ICP-AES

OBSERVATIONS

A total of 13 samples were collected from different places along the River Ganges, and tested for pH, turbidity, and TDS value, followed by secondary screening for the following heavy metals - arsenic, mercury, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, cadmium, chromium, lead and nickel.

The pH was mostly alkaline (7.11 - 8.53), TDS values ranged from 330 to 530, and turbidity was obtained in the range of 1 to 11 nTU.

The following metals were detected at high concentrations – iron, manganese, zinc, copper, arsenic, mercury, chromium and lead (values: 6.066-288.7 ppm, 0.16-0.33 ppm, 12.195-985.57 ppm, 0.23-0.497 ppm, 0.163-0.494 pm, 0.13-0.329 ppm, 0.337-4.05 ppm, and 0.16-0.18 ppm respectively).

Cadmium was not detected in any sample, where as arsenic (0.001-0.003 ppm) and mercury (0.003-0.032 ppm) were detected only in a few samples.

Metal Symbol Prescribed Limit (mg/L)

Arsenic CadmiumChromiumCopperIronLeadManganeseMercuryNickelZinc

AsCdCrCuFePbMnHgNiZn

0.050.0050.050.050.3

0.050.1

0.001-

5.0

Permissible Limits for Various Metals in Drinking Water

CONCLUSION

• RIVER GANGES IS CONTAMINATED WITH A NUMBER OF HEAVY METALS, OF WHICH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS WERE OBSERVED WITH REGARD TO IRON, MANGANESE, ZINC, COPPER, ARSENIC, MERCURY, CHROMIUM, & LEAD.

• THIS POSES SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH CONCERNS, AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED URGENTLY BY WAY OF PROPER WATER TREATMENT AND DECONTAMINATION

Thank You