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Seasonal variation of potentially toxic metal contamination in Yamuna riverine ecosystem, Delhi, India

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Abstract

The River Yamuna in Delhi region, the National Capital Territory (NCT) of India, carries potentially toxic metals such as Cr, Pb, Mn, Mg, Hg, Fe and Zn. These contaminants are discharged mainly from industrial wastes, agricultural and household activities and domestic sewage. A total of 12 stations (2.5 to 3.5 km apart from each other) were selected for the study, covering the upstream and downstream areas of river Yamuna in Delhi. The investigated sites were evaluated for significant difference between upstream and downstream locations of river Yamuna in three different time periods (June, October, February). Metal contamination were measured in water, sediments (2 μm) and nearby agriculture soil of the river Yamuna, and found with high metal loads as compared with the international standards, chiefly in the downstream sites as the river flows through the Delhi stretch. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed spatial and temporal variations in the metal concentrations which suggest seasonal variation and common point source of some metals while different sources of other metals. The contamination of the river water and adjoining agriculture soils points towards possible entry of these metals into the food chain. The study indicates that considering the current status of metal pollution, the surface water is not in good conditions for use as drinking purpose because of the high concentrations of few potentially toxic metals. Our study recommends regular monitoring of toxic metals in Yamuna river water and sediments, strict ban on the domestic, agriculture and industrial waste disposal for the restoration of the river to its natural state.

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Acknowledgements

The authors SP and VS are thankful to the Head of Environmental Science, Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities and Dean, Post Graduate Studies of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology for providing all necessary facilities leading to the execution of the study. The authors SP and VS are also thankful to UGC for the financial assistance (MRP-MAJOR-ENVI-2013-36432).

Funding

The study is financially supported by UGC (MRP-MAJOR-ENVI-2013-36432).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttarakhand, 263145, Pantnagar, India

    Shobhika Parmar & Vir Singh

  2. Kunming University of Science and Technology, 650500, Kunming, China

    Shobhika Parmar

  3. Department of Postharvest Science, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), The Volcani Center, 7505101, Rishon LeZion, Israel

    Vijay K. Sharma

  4. Mycopathology and Microbial Technology Laboratory, Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, U.P, 221005, Varanasi, India

    Ravindra N. Kharwar

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  1. Shobhika Parmar
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  4. Ravindra N. Kharwar
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Correspondence to Shobhika Parmar.

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Parmar, S., Sharma, V.K., Singh, V. et al. Seasonal variation of potentially toxic metal contamination in Yamuna riverine ecosystem, Delhi, India. Environ Monit Assess 193, 189 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-08987-2

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