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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMATICS AND GEOSCIENCES

Volume 2, No 3, 2012

© Copyright 2010 All rights reserved Integrated Publishing services

Research article ISSN 0976 – 4380

Submitted on December 2011 published on February 2012 853

Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and

weathering Environment on the dissolved load Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee

Department of Environmental Science, The University of Burdwan,

Golapbag 713104, West Bengal, India

[email protected]

ABSTRACT

Study of geochemical assessment of river water quality and its possible contamination was

carried out with the objective of identifying the occurrence of various geochemical processes

and suitability of these water resources for irrigation, potability and other ancillary uses by

local inhabitants. Analytical findings were plotted in geochemical facies diagrams to find out

the variability in Damodar river water quality. The study revealed that calcium and

bicarbonates are the dominant ions in all the samples analyzed. The Piper trilinear diagrams

reveal that Ca-HCO3 is the dominant hydro-chemical facies in the Damodar river water in the

study area. The Wilcox diagram, which shows the plot of percent sodium with the total ionic

abundance, indicates that river water in the study area chiefly falls within excellent-to-good

quality class. The source of the ions in the water was examined and classified accordingly

using Gibb’s diagram and the diagram shows that rock weathering plays the key role in

controlling the hydro-geochemistry of the Damodar river. Water quality parameters was

compared with the prevalent environmental standards indicates that, with few exceptions, the

Damodar river water in the study area is fit for drinking and irrigation use and is free from

alkali and salinity hazards.

Key words: Damodar river, major ion chemistry, weathering, geochemical characteristics,

hydrochemical facies

1. Introduction

Natural waters, having a contact with different chemical variations of rocks, inevitably gain a

specific composition. Anthropogenic activities can alter the relative contributions of the

natural causes of variations and also introduce the effects of pollution. The interaction of all

factors leads to various river water types. Geochemical study of river water gives significant

information on chemical weathering of rock as well as soil, chemical and isotopic

compositions of drainage and even of the upper continental crust (UCC), and on the elements

cycled in the continent–river–ocean system (Reeder et al., 1972; Hu et al., 1982; Stallard and

Edmond, 1983; Goldstein and Jacobsen, 1987; Elderfield et al., 1990; Zhang et al., 1995).

The hydro-chemical characteristics of river water determine its usefulness for agricultural,

municipal, industrial and domestic water supplies. The suitability of water for each of its

various uses depends on the type and concentration of the dissolved minerals.

Increasing industrial activity has continuously introduced pollutants into the riverine

environment and many researchers have attempted to assess chemical behavior of metals and

potentially toxic inorganic pollutants (Li and Thornton 2001; Silveira et al., 2006; Farkas et

al., 2007; Verma and Khan 2007; Morillo et al., 2008; Widmeyer and Bendell-Young 2008).

Industrial wastewater contain appreciable amounts of metals, and their long term, continuous

discharge into the water body results elevated metal concentrations in water and sediments.

Geochemistry of the River Damodar - the influence of the geology and weathering Environment on the

dissolved load

Srimanta Gupta, Uday Sankar Banerjee

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences

Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012 854

Even though the metals are present in the dilute, undetectable quantities, their recalcitrance

and consequent persistence in water bodies imply that through natural processes,

concentrations may become elevated to such an extent that they begin to exhibit toxic

characteristics. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to identify the major

hydrogeochemical processes that are responsible for river water chemistry in the study region.

2. Materials and Methods

The water samples were collected in 1lit high-density polyethylene bottles prewashed with

nitric acid and rinsed three to four times with the river water sample before filling them to the

required capacity. Damodar river basin map and the location map (study area) of the

Damodar River are presented in figure 1 and 2 respectively. EC and pH of water samples

were measured in the field immediately after the collection of the samples using pH and

conductivity meters. Physicochemical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total

dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca2+

), magnesium (Mg2+

), sodium (Na), potassium (K), lead

(Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), chloride (Cl−), nitrate (NO3

−), bicarbonate (HCO3

−), sulphate

(SO42−

) as per Standard methods, APHA (1998). The samples thus preserved, brought to the

laboratory for heavy metal analysis. For trace metals, 500 ml river water samples were

acidified with HNO3 and preserved separately. In the laboratory water samples were filtered

through 0.45 millipore filter to separate the suspended sediments. All the results are

compared with standard limits recommended by World Health Organization (WHO, 2006)

for drinking and IS standards (1986) for irrigation.

Damodar River

Bokaro River

Konar River

Tilaiya Dam

Barakar River

Jamunia River

Panchet Dam

Tenughat Dam

Maithon DamDhanbad

Ramgarh Damodar River

86 87

10 0 10Scale

Damodar River Basin

Burdwan

Howrah

Km

23

85

24

Figure 1: The Damodar river basin map


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Durgapur

Asansol

Raniganj

Panagarh

Damodar Bridge

Dishergarh

Palla Road

Damodar River

Purulia

Bankura Burdwan

km 10 0 10 20 km

PANCHETDAM

MAITHON DAM

DURGAPUR

BARRAGE

RANDIHA

JharkhandREFERENCES

River (Study area) Railway

87 E 24N

88 E

Figure 2: Location map of the Damodar River showing study area

3. Results and Discussion

The results of the geochemical analysis of river water samples collected from different areas

are given in (Table 1).

3.1 Major ion chemistry

In Table 1, the major ion chemistry of river water from river Damodar is summarized

showing range, mean, and standard deviation. Calcium (Ca2+

), Mg2+

, Na+ and K

+

concentrations (on the basis of meq l–1

) represent on an average to 43.11, 33.44, 18.72 and

4.72% of the total cations (TZ+), respectively, and the order of abundance is Ca

2+>Mg

2+>

Na+>K

+. The order of anion abundance is HCO3

–> SO4

2−>Cl

–> NO3

– contributing on an

average (meq l_1

), respectively, 60.04, 24.61, 14.88 and 0.45% to the total anions (TZ–). In

situ measured pH of the analysed samples varied from 7.5 to 8.7 and the average pH was

found to be 7.87, indicating mildly neutral to alkaline nature of the river water. The electrical

conductivity indicates the amount of material dissolved in water and the values determined in

the laboratory ranges from 200 to 560 µS/cm and 190 to 640 µS/cm during premonsoon and

postmonsoon respectively. The TDS in the river water ranges from 130.83 to 359 mg l–1

, with

a mean value of 185.37 mg l–1

in premonsoon and 117.33 to 422 mg l–1

, with a mean value of

160.39 mg l–1

in postmonsoon season. The large variation in TDS values may be attributed to

the variation in geological formations, hydrological processes and prevailing mining

conditions in the region.

The concentration of other measured parameters in Damodar river water ranges between 1.52

mg l–1

to 40.62 mg l–1

(Na+), 1.32 mg l

–1 to 8.9 mg l

–1 (K

+), 52 to 188 (HCO3

–), 19.65 mg l

–1

to 83.45 mg l–1

(SO42−

), 8.32 mg l–1

to 28.21 mg l–1

(Cl–), 0.423 mg l

–1 to 1.68 mg l

–1 (NO3

−).


dissolved load




The study reveals that among the alkalis, Na+ is dominant and the concentration of potassium

(K+) is apparently low. According to Howari and Banat (2002) the natural source of

potassium (K+) in water usually originates from the chemical weathering and subsequent

dissolution of minerals of igneous rocks such as feldspars (orthoclase and microcline), mica

and sedimentary rocks as well as silicate and clay minerals. Nitrate leaching from

agricultural soils thus can increase river water NO3− concentrations in the downstream area.

Regular application of N fertilizers in irrigated cropped land is likely to create a source of

NO3−. Downstream migration of this NO3

− may be facilitated by flood irrigation, and large

rain events, leading to NO3−

contamination of river water. The high concentration of HCO3–

indicates that intense chemical weathering takes place in the river channel. Elevated level of

SO42−

in the upstream of the study area indicates input from the oxidative weathering of

pyrites associated with the mining activities in Raniganj coal field region.

3.2 Trace element in river water

The industrial effluents and wastes dumped into nearby water bodies can alter water and

sediment characteristics and elevate the heavy metal concentration according to the nature of

effluent being discharged. Contamination of water with heavy metal appear when an element

or a substance is present in greater than natural (background) concentrations as a results of

some anthropogenic activity and has an ultimate detrimental effect on the environment and its

components. The variation in the concentration of trace metals (Cd, Fe and Pb) in both pre-

monsoon and postmonsoon in the river water of the study area was evaluated. Lead ranges

from 0.00 to 23.674 µg l–1

with a mean of 4.988±6.27 µg l–1

during premonsoon and post-

monsoon demonstrates 0.00 to 825.35 µg l–1


. Lead

concentration in natural water is mainly attributed to anthropogenic activities as it is

extensively used in some pesticides such as lead arsenate. Water for irrigation should satisfy

the needs of soil and the crop as the liquid phase in soil water plant growth and crop

production. Iron concentration ranges from 106.67 to 1608.6 µg l–1

with a mean of

488.17±386.73 µg l–1

during premonsoon and post-monsoon demonstrates 235.3 to 1177.3 µg

l–1


. Cadmium ranges from 0.00 to 0.495 µg l–1

with a

mean of 0.178±0.181 µg l–1

during premonsoon and post-monsoon demonstrates 0.00 to

1.954 µg l–1


. Both in pre and post-monsoon, the

concentration of highly toxic metals, such as Cd and Pb was also found to be well within the

specified limit of WHO (2006). According to Banerjee and Gupta (2010), the water quality

assessment of river Damodar and its tributary the river Barakar showed a negative impact of

the discharged municipal effluent on the river water.

3.3 Hydrogeochemical facies and water types

The changes in hydrogeochemical phases of river water in the study area can be interpreted

by various standard methods. The Hydrochemical evolution of river water can be understood

by plotting the major cations and anions in the Piper trilinear diagram. The geochemical

evolution can be described from the Piper plot, which has been divided into six sub categories

viz. I (Ca-HCO3 type); II (Na-Cl type); III (Mixed Ca-Na-HCO3 type); IV (Mixed Ca-Mg-Cl

type); V (Ca-Cl type) and VI (Na-HCO3 type). Major ion compositions plotted on a Piper

(1994) trilinear diagram shows that maximum samples are clustered at group-1 (CaHCO3

type) of the central diamond except three samples which are remain in group-3 (Mixed

CaNaHCO3), 4 (mixed CaMgCl type) and 5 (CaCl type) (Figure 1). From the plot, it is

observed that in Damodar river water samples alkaline earth exceeds the alkali and Ca2+

plays

a dominant role controlling the cation chemistry.


dissolved load




Table 1: The statistical summary of hydro-geochemical parameters of river water

Premonsoon Postmonsoon

Mean±SD Range Mean±SD Range

pH 7.89±0.351 7.5-8.7 7.85±0.224 7.5-8.2

EC µS/cm 282.35±85.91 200-560 245.88±103.56 190-640

TDS mg l–1

185.37±54.31 130.83-359 160.394±69.27 117.33-422

Ca2+

mg l–1

17.253±7.139 10.728-40.16 17.952±4.132 11.56-26.708

Mg2+

mg l–1

8.210±6.452 2.779-28.513 8.356±2.911 3.733-13.113

Na+

mg l–1

6.741±4.894 1.52-17.55 10.798±8.865 4.5-40.62

K+

mg l–1

3.235±1.471 1.32-7.22 4.291±2.128 1.35-8.9

HCO3– mg l

–1 103.29±28.04 72-188 99.294±37.235 52-188

SO42−

mg l–1

37.972±14.54 24.35-83.45 27.401±7.064 19.65-46.35

Cl– mg l

–1 14.496±4.530 8.32-25.24 14.681±4.968 9.52-28.21

NO3– mg l

–1 0.809±0.346 0.423-1.498 0.761±0.315 0.438-1.68

Pb mg l–1

4.988±6.275 0-23.674 95.91±261.350 0-825.35

Cd mg l–1

0.178±0.181 0-0.4956 0.281±0.618 0-1.954

Fe mg l–1

488.2±386.73 106.67-1608.6 516.75±280.64 235.3-1177.3

Na% 20.687±9.807 10.221-46.398 26.098±12.073 11.44-53.03

RSC 0.157±1.014 -2.223-1.713 0.044±0.761 -1.155-1.729

SAR 0.358±0.300 0.069-1.019 0.571±0.470 0.232-2.159

PI 99.99±32.594 40.701-143.07 86.769±21.593 51.14-120.22

MH 40.51±10.20 20.788-67.624 42.60±3.72 34.72-49.94

Figure 1: Piper (1994) trilinear diagram showing hydrochemical facies


dissolved load




Gibbs’ ratio

The functional sources of dissolved ions in Damodar river water is assessed by plotting the

samples according to the Gibb’s plot. Gibbs (1970) has suggested a diagram in which water

samples plotted against total dissolved solids are widely employed to assess the functional

sources of dissolved chemical constituents, such as precipitation, rock, and evaporation

dominance. The variation of Gibb’s ratio with premonsoon and post-monsoon was plotted in

Figure 2. Based on Gibbs’ ratio, water samples from pre and post-monsoon seasons fall in the

rock dominance area. The diagram suggests that chemical weathering of the rock forming

minerals is the main processes which contribute the ions to the river water.

Figure 2: Mechanisms controlling the chemistry of river water (After Gibbs 1970)

3.4 Water quality assessment

Data obtained by geochemical analyses of Damodar river water were evaluated in the terms

of its suitability for drinking, livestock and irrigation uses.

3.4.1 Suitability for drinking and livestock uses

To assess the suitability for drinking and public health purposes, the hydro-chemical

parameters of the river water of the study area were compared with the prescribed limit of


dissolved load




WHO (2006). Concentrations of nitrate are within the prescribed limit of 50 mg l–1

in the

analyzed river water samples. Highest value of nitrate in the study area is attributed to

decaying organic matter and sewage water in the urban area. The downstream increase in

concentration indicates the anthropogenic contribution. Some heavy metals are extremely

essential to humans, for example, cobalt, copper, etc., but some metals may cause

physiological disorders. The cadmium, chromium and lead are highly toxic to humans even

in low concentrations. The contamination of river water by heavy metals has received great

significance due to their toxicity and accumulative behaviour. At the site Shyampur, near

Durgapur industrial area, the values of lead exceed the WHO norms (0.01 mg l–1

) for

drinking water (WHO 2006). The high cadmium content (1.954 µg l–1

) was recorded at

Shyampur due an industrially polluted water stream joins into the river and influences this

zone as a result of which the water is not suitable for drinking purpose. The study in general

reveals that the Cd concentration in the entire study area was found to be well below the

WHO norms (0.003 mg l–1

) for drinking water (WHO 2006). Consumption of water with high

nitrate concentration decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, causing

methemoglobinemia. High metal concentrations in drinking water could pose potential

hazard to human health. The classification of Damodar river water quality is essential for an

assessment of suitability for domestic, agriculture or industrial uses.

Long-term using contaminated water can enrich heavy metal to phytotoxic levels and result

in reduced plant growth and/or enhanced metal concentration in plants which has an ultimate

detrimental effect on the livestock. The study shows that due to the discharge from coal mine

and other industrial effluents some of the sites in the analyzed area are not suitable for direct

use in drinking and domestic purposes and need treatment before utilization. Water to

maintain livestock should be of pure and high quality to prevent livestock diseases, salt

imbalance, or poisoning by toxic constituents. Damodar river water serves as drinking water

source for livestock at many places in its course. According to Ayers and Wascot (1985) and

Shuval et al. (1986) the water having salinity <1500 mg l–1

and Mg <250 mg l–1

is suitable for

drinking by most livestock. Most of the river water in the study area meet these standards and

can be used for livestock, a preliminary treatment and filtration is necessary in some areas.

Water quality parameters were compared with the prevalent water quality standards indicates

that, with few exceptions, the Damodar river water in the study area is fit for drinking and

livestock uses.

3.4.2 Suitability for irrigation use

Water for irrigation, to maintain sustainable agriculture, should satisfy the needs of soil and

the crop as the liquid phase in soil water plant growth and crop production. Irrigation water

quality is depending upon both the type and the quantity of the dissolved salts originates from

natural and anthropological sources. pH of the river water was found within the prescribed

limit set by the Indian standards (5.5 - 9.0) for irrigation (IS 11624: 1986). Electrical

conductivity is the most important measure of salinity hazard to crops and determines the

suitability of water for irrigation use. Status of Damodar river water based on electrical

conductivity (EC), sodium percent (%Na), Total dissolved solid (TDS), Sodium adsorption

ratio (SAR) and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) are presented in table 2. The concentration

of SO42−

, Cl–

and NO3−

was found to be well below the Indian standards (1000 mg l–1

, 600 mg

l–1

and 18 mg l–1

respectively) for irrigation (IS 11624: 1986). Manganese and iron content in

river water was also found to be well below the Indian standards (2.0 mg l–1

and 3.0 mg l–1

respectively) for irrigation (IS 11624: 1986) for all the analysed samples.


dissolved load




Table 2: Status of Damodar river water based on electrical conductivity (EC), sodium

percent (%Na), Total dissolved solid (TDS), Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and residual

sodium carbonate (RSC)

Classification scheme Categories Ranges Percent of samples

EC (Wilcox 1955) Excellent <250 58.82

Good 250–750 41.18

Permissible 750–2,250 –

Doubtful 2,250–5,000 –

Unsuitable >5,000 –

Na% (Wilcox 1955) Excellent 0–20 52.94

Good 20–40 38.24

Permissible 40–60 8.82

Doubtful 60–80 –

Unsuitable >80 –

Na% (Eaton 1950) Safe <60 100

Unsafe >60 –

TDS classification (USSL 1954) < 200 82.35

200–500 17.65

500–1,500 –

1,500–3,000 –

SAR (Richard 1954) Excellent 0–10 100

Good 10–18 –

Fair 18–26 –

Poor >26 –

RSC (Richard 1954) Good <1.25 91.18

Medium 1.25–2.5 8.82

Bad >2.5 –

Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR)

Sodium concentration is very important parameter for irrigation water quality because high

level of sodium concentration in irrigation water produces an alkaline soil. Todd 1980

describes that SAR is an important parameter for the determination of the suitability of

irrigation water because it is responsible for the sodium hazard. According to Kelly (1951)

high level of sodium in water causes the undesirable effects of changing soil properties and

reducing soil permeability. SAR value of irrigation water quantifies the relative proportions

of sodium (Na+) to calcium (Ca

2+) and magnesium (Mg

2+) and is a measure of alkali/sodium

hazard to crop. The SAR values in the study area can be calculated by the following equation

given by (Hem, 1991) as:

SAR= Na+

/ {[Ca2+

+ Mg2+

] /2}0.5

where the concentrations are expressed as milliequivalents per liter.

High level of sodium in irrigation waters may change the soil properties and reduce its

fertility due to salinization and alkalization processes (Dehayer et al., 1997). According to

Richards (1954), based on SAR values, irrigation water is classified into four groups: low

(SAR<10), medium (SAR, 10–18), high (SAR, 18–26), and very high (SAR>26). With

respect to the USSL (1954) classification (Figure 3), all river waters of the study area are

located in the C1S1 (low salinity and low alkalinity) field. The calculated SAR values vary


dissolved load




from 0.069 to 2.15 and lie in excellent SAR class. The study reveals that none of the samples

are of the poor category for irrigation in either of the seasons. Therefore, all river water

samples are suitable for irrigation and can be used for all soil types.

Figure 3: US salinity hazard diagram (after Richards 1954)

Percent sodium (% Na)

In all natural waters, sodium percentage Na % is the most important parameter in determining

the suitability of water for irrigation use (Wilcox, 1948). Elevated level of sodium percent

causes deflocculation and impairment of the tilth and permeability of soils (Karanth, 1987)


dissolved load




and may produce harmful levels of exchangeable sodium in most soils that will require

special soil management like good drainage, high leaching, and organic matter additions. The

Na% can be estimated by the following equation (Todd, 1980):

Na% = Na+K/ (Ca+Mg+Na+K) X 100

where all the ions are expressed in meq l–1

. As per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS),

(1991) a sodium percentage of 60 is the maximum recommended limit for irrigation water.

The Na% in the river water ranges from 10.221 to 46.398 with a mean value of 20.687±9.8 in

premonsoon and 11.445 to 53.033 with a mean value of 26.098±12.073 in postmonsoon

season. Sodium percentage calculated for Damodar river water in the study area is plotted

against electrical conductance in Wilcox diagram (Figure 4). Figure 4 shows that all of river

water samples are excellent to good for irrigation.

Figure 4: Wilcox diagram for classification of Damodar river water


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Magnesium hazard (MH)

Magnesium ions are essential for the plant growth and its deficiency in plants causes late-

season yellowing between leaf veins, especially in older leaves. According to Szabolcs and

Darab (1964) magnesium hazard (MH) value for irrigation water is calculated by the

following equation:

all ions are in equivalents per million

The magnesium ratio values of the study area in premonsoon season range from 0.76 to 95.14

with an average value of 52.98 and from 0.76 to 95.14 with an average value of 52.98 in

postmonsoon season (Table 1). Magnesium ratio when exceeds more than 50 is considered to

be harmful and unsuitable for irrigation use irrigation (Szabolcs and Darab 1964; Sreedevi

2004) and this would adversely affect the crop yield, as soils become more alkaline. The

analyzed water samples indicate that most of the river water samples are not exceeding the

magnesium ratio of 50. The MH in the river water ranges from 20.788 to 67.624 with a mean

value of 40.51±10.20 in premonsoon and 34.72 to 49.94 with a mean value of 42.60±3.72 in

postmonsoon season.

Permeability index PI

Permeability index (PI) is a significant parameter for the suitability of irrigation water and it

indicates that the soil permeability is affected by long-term use of irrigation water as

influenced by Na+, Ca

2+, Mg

2+, and HCO3

– contents of the soil. Doneen (1964) classified

irrigation water based on the Permeability index:

all ions are in equivalents per million

Water can be classified as Class I, II and III. Class I and II water are categorized as good for

irrigation with 75% or more of maximum permeability. Class III water is unsuitable with

25% of maximum permeability. The PI value of the river water samples ranges 40.701 to

143.07 with a mean of 99.99±32.59 in premonsoon and 51.142 to 120.21 with a mean of

86.76±21.59 in postmonsoon season (Table 1).

Residual sodium carbonate (RSC)

The excess quantity of sodium bicarbonate and carbonate is considered to be detrimental to

the physical properties of soils as it causes dissolution of organic matter in the soil, which in

turn leaves a black stain on the soil surface on drying and this excess is denoted by Residual

Sodium Carbonate (RSC). In irrigation water having high concentration of HCO3–, there is a

tendency for Ca2+

and Mg2+

to precipitate as CO32–

. The effect of CO32–

and HCO3–

ion on

quality of water was expressed in terms of the Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) Eaton

(1950). Residual sodium carbonate (RSC) is calculated as follows (Ragunath, 1987):


dissolved load




RSC = (CO3++HCO3

–) – (Ca

2+ + Mg

2+)

where all ionic concentrations are expressed in epm.

High value of residual sodium carbonate (RSC) in water value leads to an increase in the

adsorption of sodium on soil (Eaton, 1950) and also causes the soil structure to deteriorate, as

it restricts the water and air movement through soil. The RSC value of the river water

samples ranges -2.23 to 1.72 with a mean of 0.157±1.01 in premonsoon and -1.15 to 1.73

with a mean of 0.04±0.76 in postmonsoon season (Table 1).

4. Conclusion

Major ionic relationships indicate that weathering reactions have significant role in the

hydrochemical processes of the river water system. In order to determine the geochemical

nature of water, the obtained data was interpreted using the piper trilinear diagram wherein

the results show the predominance of Ca–HCO3 type. The Gibb’s diagram suggests that

chemical weathering of the rock forming minerals is the main processes which contribute the

ions to the water. The major sources of heavy metals in river water include weathering of

rock minerals, discharge of sewage and industrial waste effluents and discharge from coal

mines. However, high value of magnesium ratio in industrial area indicates restricted use of

water for irrigation. The high RSC content and Na% were recorded at Shyampur due an

industrially polluted water stream which joins into the river and influence this zone as a result

of which the water is not suitable for irrigation use. The quality assessment of river water

shows that in general, the water is suitable for drinking, livestock and irrigation uses.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Prof. J.K. Datta, Prof A.R. Ghosh and Dr N.K. Mondal, Dept of

Environmental Science, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal for their valuable

suggestions and cooperation throughout this research work. Authors also thankfully

acknowledge Mr. Jagadish Mondal, Asst. teacher, Mohanpur High School, Mohanpur,

Burdwan, West Bengal, India for his suggestions to improve the manuscript.

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