Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentration and Water Quality Status in Selected Sites of the Ganga River Basin Using ICP–OES Analysis
Keywords:
Heavy Metals, Ganga River Basin, ICP–OES, Water Quality Assessment, Industrial Pollution, Environmental Monitoring, Heavy Metal Contamination.Abstract
Heavy metal contamination in riverine ecosystems has emerged as a major environmental concern due to its persistence, toxicity, bioaccumulative nature, and potential risks to ecological and human health systems. The Ganga River Basin, one of India's most significant freshwater systems, is increasingly exposed to contamination from industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, municipal wastewater, and urban expansion. The present study aimed to assess heavy metal concentrations in selected locations of the Ganga River Basin and evaluate their compliance with national and international water quality standards. Water samples collected from five monitoring locations—Devprayag, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kanpur, and Garhganga—were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP–OES), a highly sensitive analytical technique for multi-element quantification. Heavy metals including Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), and Uranium (U) were investigated. The results revealed considerable spatial variation in heavy metal concentrations across sampling sites. Kanpur exhibited the highest contamination levels and exceeded permissible BIS IS:10500:2012 and WHO drinking water standards for Iron, Chromium, Lead, and Cadmium, indicating severe industrial pollution influence. Haridwar showed elevated concentrations of Iron and Lead, while Garhganga demonstrated complete compliance with all measured parameters, representing a relatively uncontaminated reference location. Correlation analysis indicated strong positive associations among Uranium, Lead, Cadmium, and Iron concentrations, suggesting common anthropogenic pollution sources and shared transport mechanisms.
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