Evaluation of The Nutrients Concentration in The Ground Water Samples Near Hospital Areas
G.V. Shyla Sree1, B. Indirani2
1Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari
2Principal, Sree Devi kumari, Women's College, Kuzhithurai, Kanyakumari
*Corresponding Author E-mail: sreeshyla.gv@gmail.com
ABSTRACT:
Ground water is ultimate, fresh water resource with nearly balanced concentrations of the salts for human consumption there are several states in India where more than 90% populations are dependent on ground water for drinking and other purpose. The Complex nature of different waste materials (Municipal, Commercial, Industrial, Agriculture and Hospital waste) makes it challenging to prevent ground water which is a natural resource from hazardous effects of generated toxic leachate which is extremely risky for the public. The health of the ground water system greatly depends on nutrients and the various toxic contaminants it receives, optimum level of nutrients is essential for primary and secondary production, but excess may lead to Eutrophication. The addition of extranutrients into the system is of serious concern as it effects of the life of organisms in it. Nutrients come from a variety of sources. Nutrient pollution, a form of water pollution, refers to contamination by excessive inputs of nutrient. Sources of nutrient pollution include surface run off from farm fields and pastures, discharge from septic tanks, sewages from hospitals etc. The present paper focuses on the amount of nutrients in the ground water samples hear hospitals. Ground water samples were collected during premonsoon (March, April, May) and Monsoon. (June, July, August) seasons. The presence of nutrients like Nitrate - Nitrogen, Ammonia - Nitrogen, Phosphate, Sulphate, Fluoride was also analyzed.
KEYWORDS: Ground water, Nutrients, Sewages, Hospital wastes, Fluoride, Sulphate.
Water plays an important role in the world economy, as it functions as a solvent for a wide variety of Chemical substances and facilitates industrial cooling and transportation. Water is vital for life, essential natural resource for the ecological sustenance, environmental purity, industrial growth, power production and enrichment and renewal of land and air [1]. Availability of well analyse of safe water is required for day to day activities like consumption, agriculture and human purposes. [2]
The health of ground water system greatly depends on nutrients and the various toxic contaminants, it receives optimum level of nutrients is essential for primary and secondary production, but excess may lead to Eutrophication. The addition of extranutrients into the system is of serious concern as it affects the life of organism in it. The present piece of work is the analysis of ground water samples from Hospital areas in and around Nagercoil town. The study has revealed the nutrients content.
Sample I is collected from a bore well in the middle of a children hospital, a maternity hospital and also a SidhaVaramVidyasalai. Sample II is from a bore well near the Government primary health centre. Sample III is from a bore well near Asaripallam medical college. Sample IV is from a bore well near the Government Ayurvedic Hospital and Sample V is from a borewell near two maternity Hospitals.
Regular monthly collections of the samples were made. The amount of nutrients was analyzed as per the standard methods described in APHA (1995).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
The concentration of Nitrate - Nitrogen.
In the present study, the nitrate - nitrogen content was high during the monsoon season. The nitrate - nitrogen content was high in sample III. This high value may be attributed to the dissolved nitrogenous materials in waste water from hospitals which may have reached the main sewage. It is evident that there are no treatments (or) lack of units for treating the dissolved nitrogenous materials in these hospitals. [3] The concentration of Ammonia-nitrogen was minimum in all stations during the premonsoon season, this may be attributed to the absence of influx of freshwater. The seasonal variations of dissolved Ammonia -Nitrogen content was found to be high during the monsoon season. This is mainly caused by the influx of rain water which brings in sewages from nearby Hospital areas. In the present study, the concentration of Inorganic phosphate was found to be high during monsoon. This might be due to heavy rainfall. [4]
High concentration of sulphate may induce diarrhoea and intestinal disorders, excess amount of sulphate in drinking water may induce cathartic effect on human health. [5] The concentration of sulphate recorded was quite higher during rainy season. In the water samples, the fluoride concentration was found to be higher during the monsoon. This may be due to the mixing of hospital sewages which may contain dental products, antidepressant and anticholastral drugs which are the main source of fluoride content. The results were shown in the following tables (1,2,3,4,5).
Table 1: Concentration of Nitrate - Nitrogen (mg/l).
|
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
|
|
March |
1 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
6 |
|
April |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
|
May |
7 |
9 |
7 |
8 |
4 |
|
June |
9 |
11 |
18 |
11 |
15 |
|
July |
11 |
10 |
16 |
15 |
16 |
|
August |
9 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
14 |
Table 2: Concentration of Ammonia - Nitrogen (mg/l).
|
Months |
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
|
0.08 |
0.04 |
0.08 |
0.04 |
0.08 |
|
|
April |
0.08 |
0.08 |
0.04 |
0.08 |
0.23 |
|
May |
0.15 |
0.12 |
0.23 |
0.38 |
0.08 |
|
June |
0.15 |
0.12 |
0.23 |
0.38 |
0.28 |
|
July |
0.34 |
0.42 |
0.58 |
0.41 |
0.24 |
|
August |
0.44 |
0.52 |
0.04 |
0.51 |
0.34 |
Table 3: Concentration of Inorganic Phosphate (mg/l).
|
Months |
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
|
March |
0.05 |
0.03 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
April |
0.05 |
0.03 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
May |
0.10 |
0.03 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
June |
0.40 |
1.15 |
0.20 |
1.45 |
0.20 |
|
July |
1.25 |
0.4 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
0.4 |
|
August |
1.6 |
0.16 |
1.3 |
1.15 |
1.6 |
Table 4 : Concentration of Sulphate (mg/l).
|
Months |
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
|
March |
4 |
27 |
24 |
23 |
21 |
|
April |
21 |
37 |
9 |
27 |
23 |
|
May |
19 |
21 |
30 |
24 |
14 |
|
June |
29 |
40 |
60 |
34 |
27 |
|
July |
49 |
41 |
37 |
40 |
39 |
|
August |
26 |
30 |
60 |
46 |
29 |
Table 5 : Concentration of Fluoride (mg/l).
|
Months |
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
|
March |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
|
April |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.4 |
|
May |
0 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
|
June |
0.2 |
0.6 |
1.2 |
1.8 |
1.2 |
|
July |
0.4 |
0.6 |
1.4 |
2.6 |
1.8 |
|
August |
0.2 |
0.8 |
0.2 |
1.6 |
2.2 |
CONCLUSION:
Analysis of the water samples revealed that they are polluted by the wastages from hospitals, sewage disposals etc.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The authors are thankful to the management and the principal of S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil.
REFERENCES:
1. Singh, V.P. and Yadav, R.N. (2003), Environment Pollution (eds), V.P. Singh and R.N. Yadav, Allied Publisher Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
2. Agarval, A.K., Saxena, R.K., Bhatnagar, G., Lal, K., (2003), Assessment of quality of water. In: Environment Pollution, Eds.
3. Hammer, M.J., (2008), Water and Waste Water Technology, 6th Edition.
4. Kahar, A., (1988), Impact of sewage on water quality of the Karamana River and the Poonthura Back waters, Kerala India, M. Phil thesis, University of Kerala, p. 205.
5. Katararia, H.C., Manisha Gupta, Mukesh Kumar, Sandhya Kushwaha, Sherwatikashyar, Sond Trivedi, Rani Bhapariya and Naval Kishore Bandewar(2011), Current World Environment, Vol.6, No.1, Pp. 95-99.
Received on 05.06.2017 Modified on 22.06.2017
Accepted on 14.07.2017 © AJRC All right reserved
Asian J. Research Chem. 2017; 10(4):571-572.
DOI:10.5958/0974-4150.2017.00094.3