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Assessment of Heavy Metal and E. coli Contamination in Water Sources of the East and South Districts, Sikkim Himalaya, India

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Abstract

Water quality degradation exerts immense pressure on the availability of suitable freshwater resources. Deterioration in water quality has led to a decrease in the available water for consumption purposes. The excess concentration of heavy metals and faecal contamination in water pose a risk to human health. This study looks at heavy metal contamination and microbial contamination in different water samples of the east and south districts of Sikkim. The sampling extended for tap water, springs, and river water samples across monsoon, post-monsoon, and pre-monsoon seasons. The concentrations of heavy metals in most samples, except for some river water samples were under permissible limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and World Health Organisation (WHO). Indices such as Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI), and Contamination Index (Cd) show a higher proportion of contamination in the river water samples than in tap and spring water samples and during monsoon season. Sources apportionment of metal concentration show geogenic as well as anthropological sources. For microbial contamination Most Probable Number (MPN) index was used showing possible faecal contamination in all water samples rendering them unsuitable for drinking purposes without appropriate treatment. The study also highlights the urgent need for effective measures to address faecal contamination in the water sources of the study area.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank DST’s Centre of Excellence Water Resources, Cryosphere and Climate Change Studies, Department of Geology, Sikkim University funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi (DST/CCP/CoE/186/2019 (G)) Gangtok, Sikkim, for access of laboratory and analysis facilities for the study. The authors would also like to thank all the Centre of Excellence personnel for help during sampling and analysis.

Funding

I would like to thank the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, India, for the financial support extended to me under the Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Single Girl Child fellowship (UGCES-22-GE-SIK-F-SJSGC-2589) for my research work.

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  1. Department of Geology, Sikkim University, Gangtok, Sikkim, India, 737102

    Krity Rai, Anil Kumar Misra, Rakesh Kumar Ranjan, Nishchal Wanjari, Rajeev Rajak & Md. Abdullah Khan

  2. DST’s Centre of Excellence in Water Resource, Cryosphere and Climate Change Studies, Department of Geology, Sikkim University, Gangtok, Sikkim, India

    Anil Kumar Misra, Rakesh Kumar Ranjan, Nishchal Wanjari, Rajeev Rajak, Shailesh Kumar Yadav & Richard Rai

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Contributions

Krity Rai: sample collection, data generation, data analysis, result interpretation, manuscript writing.

Anil Kumar Misra: manuscript review, result interpretation, language editing.

Rakesh Kumar Ranjan: manuscript review, sample collection, data generation.

Nishchal Wanjari: manuscript review, data analysis.

Rajeev Rajak: data analysis, language editing.

Shailesh Kumar Yadav: sample collection, data generation, manuscript review.

Richard Rai sample collection, data generation.

Md. Abdullah Khan: manuscript review, language editing, data analysis, result interpretation.

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Correspondence to Md. Abdullah Khan.

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Rai, K., Misra, A.K., Ranjan, R.K. et al. Assessment of Heavy Metal and E. coli Contamination in Water Sources of the East and South Districts, Sikkim Himalaya, India. Water Conserv Sci Eng 9, 22 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41101-024-00257-9

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