Status of Water Quality and Heavy Metal Pollution from Coovum River, Tamilnadu, India
Journal Title: Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology - Year 2013, Vol 3, Issue 4
Abstract
The Coovum River which was once navigable and recreational has now become a sink of garbage dumping and a sewage outlet. Two sampling stations were chosen – Arumbakkam and the Coovum River Mouth. All results obtained are corresponding to the monsoon (December 2009) and post – monsoon season (January 2010). Heavy eutrophication was a common occurrence. Levels of nutrients were high, but levels of essential nutrients, like sulphate, the electron acceptor of oxygen was very low. The water has almost no dissolved oxygen, and instead there are traces of heavy metals like copper, besides sewage and sludge. Apart from this, the microbial load of the river also has gone risen far above the optimum levels. Industries have largely contributed to the high metal concentrations in the waters. Alongside bank settlements and sewage disposals in the river has accounted to the heavy microbial load. It has reached far beyond saturation levels and is fully loaded with nutrients, metals and microbial load, which accounts to its unpleasant stench. This is of great concern, because it has a negative impact on our surroundings. It can be the breeding grounds for several infectious disease causing pathogens. Moreover, when this water enters the sea, it creates a huge impact on the water quality of the seas, especially at the mouth region. If this river is going to pollute at this rate, without any measures it will result in several health and environmental issues. Necessary steps should be taken to stop polluting these waters and steps to clean the Coovum river should be taken.
Authors and Affiliations
R. Subramanian, C. Sheeba Anitha Nesakumari and N. Thirunavukkarasu
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP31843
- DOI -
- Views 342
- Downloads 1
A Short Review on Energy Conservation in Buildings Using Roof Coating Materials for Hot and Dry Climates
Hot and dry climatic regions are known by very high solar radiation levels, high ambient temperatures and relatively low specific humidity. The roof surface of the building is always exposed to Sun directly for the lon...
Phytoremediation of Pb and Ni Contaminated Soils Using Catharanthus roseus (L.)
Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses various plants to degrade, extract, contain or immobilize contaminants from soil and water. Plants can help clean up many kinds of pollution including metals, pestici...
Impact of Distillery Effluent on germination and seedling growth of Pisum sativum L.
Experimental effects of post-treated effluent from the outlet of anaerobic treatment plant (treated effluent), discharged from a distillery unit were studied in Pisum sativum. The physico-chemical characteristics of th...
Assessment of Ground-Level Ozone and Its Variability with Meteorological Parameters at Karaikal, India
Ozone (O3), an allotrope of oxygen is one of the most powerful oxidants which occur naturally in trace amounts in the Earth’s atmosphere. Availability of ground level O3, temperature and wind speed data for a period fr...
Overview of Subsurface Constructed Wetlands Application in Tropical Climates
Subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SFCW) have specific capacity to absorb and retain particulate matters, nutrients and other pollutants which enters water bodies through surface runoff, domestic wastewater, industr...