Abstract
A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate metal pollution of groundwater in the vicinity of Valiathura Sewage Farm in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala using the Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI). Forty two groundwater samples were collected during the summer season (April 2010) and the concentration of metals Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were analyzed. Results showed that groundwater was contaminated mainly with Fe, Cu and Pb. Correlation analysis revealed that the sources of metals in groundwater in the study area are the same, and it may be due to the leachates from the nearby Sewage Farm, Parvathy Puthanar canal and solid wastes dumped in the residential area. Of the groundwater samples studied, 47.62 % were medium and 2.68 % were classified in HPI high category. HPI was highest (41.79) in DW29, which was adjacent to the polluted Parvathy Puthanar canal and Sewage Farm. The present study points out that the metal pollution causes the degradation of groundwater quality around the Sewage Farm during the study period.
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Acknowledgments
The first author gratefully acknowledges the Kerala State Council for Science and Technology for granting financial assistance to carry out the study. The authors are also thankful to Head, Department of Geology, University of Kerala for providing the instrumental facility to do the analysis of metals. The authors would like to thank reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions.
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Varghese, J., Jaya, D.S. Metal Pollution of Groundwater in the Vicinity of Valiathura Sewage Farm in Kerala, South India. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 93, 694–698 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1410-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1410-7