Identification of the Adverse Effect of Turbidity and lron Concentration on the Water Quality of Ghaghra River in Saran District of Bihar

Abstract

According to Article 51-A (g) of the Indian Constitution, it is the duty of all Indians to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living beings. River water pollution is causing a great deal of trouble in India, its bottom water sources are also contaminated with toxic, organic and inorganic pollutants. Lack of water quality is risky for every human use and ecosystem. That is why I have actually done research on water estimation in terms of heavy metal and physico-chemical characteristics of Ghaghra river in Saran district and its side effects. In pre-monsoon and post-monsoon more than one hundred water samples were collected from specific sites of Ghaghra river from Doriganj to Tajpur in Saran district. It lies between 25.782261 North Latitude and 84.626096 East Longitude to 25.876387 North Latitude and 84.493640 East Longitude. pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, TDS, overall hardness, calcium, magnesium, chloride, alkalinity, iron, nitrate, sulfate, fluoride, arsenic and magnesium were analyzed on site and in the laboratory. The pre-monsoon mean values of pH, EC, TDS, ΤΗ, Ca, Mg, CI-, Alkalinity, NO3-, SO4-, F- parameters were found to be 8.39, 349.56 µs/cm, 227.09 ppm, 179.11 ppm, 34.02 ppm, 22.51 ppm, 13.21 ppm, 180.42 ppm, 0.05 ppm, 18.47 ppm, 0.19 ppm respectively and its post-monsoon mean values were found to be 7.88, 219.18 µs/cm, 142.29 ppm, 90.58 ppm. 23.15 ppm, 8.11 ppm, 12.01 ppm, 117.07 ppm, 2.57 ppm, 28.33 ppm, 0.16 ppm respectively The all parameters were almost within the standard limits. It was determined that the pre-monsoon water samples' turbidity ranged between 0.30 NTU and 7.40 NTU, with an average of 2.69 NTU and a median of 2.60 NTU. In post-monsoon turbidity was determined to be in the range of 8.40 ppm to 24.10 ppm with an average of 14.87 ppm and a median of 13.80 ppm. The turbidity of water in both pre-monsoon and post-monsoon is more than the standard limit. The iron level of the water samples was found to vary between 0.21 ppm and 0.77 ppm, with an average and a median of 0.46 ppm pre-monsoon and in post-monsoon between 1.06 ppm and 1.94 ppm, with an average of 1.45 ppm and a median of 1.43 ppm. Iron content is within the standard limit in pre-monsoon but iron content in post monsoon is more than the BIS's permitted ranges. As a result of studying the data of the test report of water quality of Ghaghara River in Chapra district, it was found that all the parameters were almost within the standard limits but some important parameters like turbidity and iron were found to be more than the permissible limits of BIS and WHO. The mean value of turbidity during pre-monsoon was found to be 2.69 NTU, but the post-monsoon average value was 14.87 NTU. Here the figure was found to be more than the permissible limit (1.0-5.0 NTU) of BIS and WHO. The average level of TDS in pre-monsoon is 227.09 ppm and post-monsoon is 142.29 ppm. TDS of water increases. The various parameters tested during pre- and post-monsoon were within the safe standard limits of BIS, WHO and USEPA. During pre-monsoon the maximum iron content in water was found to be 0.77 ppm which is within the permissible limit but the post-monsoon maximum iron level is 1.94 ppm which is more than the permissible limit. As the BIS and WHO iron content in water should be less than 1 ppm. Terbidity and iron overdose can affect microorganisms, surrounding animals and agricultural activities. The silt, organic and inorganic counts inside the river water and various dissolved effluents, sediments get deposited inside the river, due to which the Ghaghra river is gradually disappearing from Rivilganj to Doriganj in Saran district of Bihar.