Assessment of ground water quality in district Ghaziabad and development of low cost decontamination methods

Abstract

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh-India) is being the part of the national capital region- Delhi having the water aquifer types of deep-shallow, lies in the Ganga plain, using the sources of ground-water since a long time. The study area involves in a number of industrial and agricultural activities having disposal sites surrounding it. In this study ground-water quality for drinking, domestic, irrigation and industrial application was assessed. Post-pre season samples analyzed for a number of physic-chemical parameters as pH, conductivity, Salinity, TDS, Resistivity, K, Na, Cl-, T. Hardness.Ca. Hardness, Mg Hardness, Ca, Mg, T. Alkalinity, CO32- , HCO3-, Silica, Amm- N2, NO2-, SO42- ,PO43-, Br-, F-, Cr6+, NO3- and Be, B, Zn, Ni, Pb, Mo, Cu, Al, Fe, Sn, Mn and V. In the study area pH showed mildly acidic to mildly alkaline in both the season. The alkalinity, TDS shows the violation with respect to their respective desirable level at all the selected sites. From hardness view point 60% in pre and about 57% samples in post monsoon season exceeded the desirable limit 300 ppm. The fluoride were found exceed the desirable limit 1.0 ppm in 31% ,about 21% in both season. Nitrate shows no violation in the area. Anthropogenic activities may be responsible for the higher levels of these ions in the study area.Iron concentration were significantly high in both the season. It was found beyond the desirable limit(0.3ppm)in 41 and 70% samples in both the season, moreover 15% sample and 46% samples exceeds the permissible limit 1.0ppm in pre and post-monsoon season respectively clearly showing its anthropogenic origin. The concentration of the Cr-VI has also been found in 6-7% samples beyond the desirable limit 0.05 ppm during both the season. Lead was analyzed in about 9 and 16% samples exceeding desirable level (0.1ppm) during both the season. Aluminum was found significantly beyond the desirable limit 0.03 ppm in most of the samples during both the season.