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Assessment of Geochemical Environment from Study of River Sediments in the Middle Stretch of River Ganga at Ghazipur, Buxar and Ballia area

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In order to investigate geochemical environment of the river Ganga, the freshly deposited sediment samples were collected from Ghazipur, Buxar and Ballia urban centers in the pre-monsoon period (May, 2010). The river receives industrial as well as domestic wastes from various drains of above mentioned cities. River Ganga has been one of the major recipients of the industrial effluents in India. The present study assesses the current status of the distribution and concentration of seven heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the river sediment at the three urban centers. The total trace metal content in sediment samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer and obtained values were compared with different standard values. The heavy metal concentrations were recorded in the following ranges (mg/kg) Cr (113–230), Co (11–29), Ni (32–75), Cu (39–73), Zn (72–140), Cd (0.45–0.95) and Pb (15–27). Results show that the mean concentration of Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu and Co in sediment at all urban centers exceeded the average worldwide shale concentration. However the mean concentration of Ni and Co was lower than it. Metal enrichment factor (EFc) for all sampling stations was recorded between 0 and 3. The maximum EFc was 1.82 for Cr, 1.18 for Co, 0.87 for Ni, 1.33 for Cu, 1.15 for Zn, 2.43 for Cd and 1.05 for Pb. The exceptionally high EFc value was recorded for Cd at all sampling stations. High EFc value indicates that large amount of pollutants are added through anthropogenic sources. The percentage of anthropogenic and lithogenic values of heavy metal concentration indicates that Cd receives highest value of anthropogenic addition into stream and it is followed by Cr, Cu, Zn and Co. Geoaccumulation indices showed that sediment was uncontaminated to moderately contaminated and may adversely affect the fresh water ecology of the river. Toxicity reference value indicates that the river bed sediment is toxic to benthos organisms for most of the undertaken metals. The data generated may provide useful information to Governmental agencies to control the heavy metal pollution of the river Ganga sediment at these urban centers which may even be worst with the increasing population load in the basin.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank University Grant Commission (UGC), New Delhi for financial assistance, Prof. M. C. Chattopadhyay, Department of Chemistry, University of Allahabad for help in heavy metal analysis and Prof. G.K. Srivastava, Department of Botany, University of Allahabad for technical guidance in manuscript writing.

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  1. Bhargawa Agricultural Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, 211002, India

    Harendra Singh, Supriya Yadav, Bhupendra K. Singh, Bhaskar Dubey, Kiran Tripathi, Vandana Srivastava & D. N. Shukla

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Singh, H., Yadav, S., Singh, B.K. et al. Assessment of Geochemical Environment from Study of River Sediments in the Middle Stretch of River Ganga at Ghazipur, Buxar and Ballia area. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 83, 371–384 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-012-0134-x

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