TAJ MUHAMMAD JAHANGIR etJ. al.,Chem. Soc. Pak., Vol. 35, No.3, J.Chem.Soc.Pak.,Vol. 2013 35, No.3, 2013 1004 Water Quality Assessment of Haleji Lake (Sindh, Pakistan) A Ramsar Recognized Site 1,2TAJ MUHAMMAD JAHANGIR, 2, 1MUHAMMAD YAR KHUHAWAR, 3,1SULTAN MEHMOOD LEGHARI, 3MUKHTIAR AHMED MAHAR AND 4 MUHAMMAD SAEED BALUCH 1Institute of Advanced Research Studies in Chemical Sciences, University of Sindh, Jamshoro. 2Dr. M.A.Kazi, Institute of Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro. 3Department of Freshwater Biology and Fisheries, University of Sindh, Jamshoro. 4 Government of Sindh Wildlife Department, Hyderabad Division [email protected]* (Received on 5th July 2012, accepted in revised form 7th March 2013) Summary: The present survey is an assessment of water quality, sediments, flora and fauna of Haleji Lake. A number of variables were selected for 12 stations for a period of 4 months from May to August 2008. Multivariate statistical techniques were applied to identify characteristics of water quality in the studied stations. Four factors were extracted by principal component analysis and explain 86.82% of the total variation. The first factor (PC1) loaded with variables of TDS, Na, K, Cl, DO, hardness, Ca, Mg, sulphate and orthophosphate. Factor second (PC2) is related with COD, total acid hydrolysable phosphate. The third factor (PC3) associated with pH and fluoride. Thus fourth factor (PC4) to its total eigen-value of 1.605 were significantly positive correlated with BOD and bicarbonate and negatively correlated with ammonia and nitrate. The majority of mean values for lake water were higher than minimum permissible levels for drinking water when compared with its source of riverine water. The pH was indicated slightly alkaline, biological oxygen demand staged at the maximum permissible limit by WHO for drinking water. The parameters of chemical oxygen demand, fluoride and potassium were found above the permissible limits of WHO for drinking water. In sediments, the calcium and hardness was in higher concentration than water. However chloride and alkalinity indicated lower in sediment than that of water. The lake was identified rich in primary productivity and showed the Typha domigensis, Phragmites karka, Nelumbo nucifera and Potamogeton pectinatus forming beads to become food for herbivorous fishes and migratory birds. The excess growth of phytoplankton especially Microcysts species M.aeruginosa, M. flosaqua, M.pulverea, Oscillatoria prolfica, O. planktonica, Pediastrum simplex, & P. simplex Var duodenarium, Botryococus braunii were identified. The fishes were recorded Channa striatus, Notopterus notopterus, Xenenthodon canclia, Oreochromous mossambicus, Oreochromous niloticus, Gudisia chapra, Chanda ranga and Chela laubuca. The studies explained conveniently by correlation coefficient, principal component analysis and surfer diagram. Keywords: Chemical assessment, Haleji lake, Water, Sediments, Biota, Ramsar site. Introduction Water is an essential component for life on distance of about 15 Km west-northwest of Thatta earth, which contains minerals that are extremely city and 85 Km east of Karachi. The lake is on the important in human nutrition [1]. The chemistry of link road from Gujo village located on national lakes varies markedly both temporally and spatially highway with the covering distance of about 2-4Km. [2], eutrophication or nutrient enrichment are serious The source of water to Haleji is Kalri Baghar feeder problems in lakes has been extensively documented via Jam branch carrying water from Keenjhar Lake [3-7]. The Pakistan has 55 important lakes of which and natural streams entering from the hills in rainy only 12 have status of sanctuaries with area covering season, a second canal in the southeast corner of the approximately 7800 Km2 of the total area 803941 lake is Kalri Baghar feeder via Gujo functioning as Km2. The Haleji Lake is gazetted wild life sanctuary inlet or outlet. A large rest house is located at the of Pakistan, and Ramsar site 101 from July 23, 1976 entrance of lake with three sides in water. It is not under article-2 of Ramsar convention as waters of advisable to swim in the lake due to the presence of international importance for water fowl refuge [8]. crocodile in the lake and is natural hatchery for local The lake attracts for recreation of large number of birds and animals [8]. The lake is covered around visitors from Karachi and Hyderabad. The lake is at with stone pitched embankments, and a narrow the altitude of 40 feet from the sea level, it is located muddy track for plying car under the cover of trees. at the latitude of 24’.50” and at the longitude of The lake is artificial perennial freshwater formed in 67’.45” in the Sindh province. It is artificially 1930 converting natural lagoon to fresh water extended in 12 square miles (1704 hectare) with reservoir of maximum depth 5-6m to fulfill the needs cubical shape and supporting embankments. It is at a of water of Karachi a metropolitan city. Since last 8 *To whom all correspondence should be addressed. TAJ MUHAMMAD JAHANGIR et al., J.Chem.Soc.Pak.,Vol. 35, No.3, 2013 1005 years water is scarce in this lake as similarly faced in or international organizations. It was found that total over 1.5 million people of Kathmandu, Napal only dissolved solids, hardness, chloride; alkalinity, 140 million liters per day (MLD) being supplied in sulphate, sodium, calcium and magnesium were rainy season and 90 MLD during the dry season, within the maximum permissible limits for drinking however with average demand of 180 MLD [9]. The water guidelines set by World Health Organization human activities are a major factor in determining the (WHO) [14]. The most of average values of present quality of the surface and groundwater through studies indicated higher than the minimum atmospheric pollution, effluent discharges, use of contamination level for drinking water when agricultural chemicals, eroded soil, and land use [10]. compared with its source of riverine water. The pH It was reported [11] that the lake was rich of was indicated slightly alkaline (7.71-8.75±0.35) (Fig. phytoplankton due to high temperature, concentration 3, Table-1) with average value of 8.2 and this lake of nutrients and favorable pH. The amount of water resembles with communal land reservoirs, nitrogen and phosphorus was found in low Insiza, Zambabwe [15], biological oxygen demand concentrations and carbon dioxide was adequate. The staged at the maximum permissible limit by WHO for pH ranged 6.9-8, dissolved oxygen1.8-7.3 mg/L and drinking water (Fig. 4) is in agreement with Nansi silica 2-35 mg/L and suggested lake was in eutrophic lake, China [16]. The chemical oxygen demand (29- condition. The limnological conditions of Haleji lake 205±115mg/L) with mean value 115mg/L (Fig. 5), was examined, birds management studies for increase has indicated similar results reported earlier from of fish production, population of zooplankton and Hulun lake, china, [17], fluoride (0.8-3.0±1.9mg/L) seasonal variation of physicochemical parameters of with average 1.9mg/L (Fig. 6) and potassium (5.5- water. It was reported that dissolved oxygen and 23±16mg/L) with mean 16 mg/L (Fig. 7) and the dissolved carbon dioxide increased in winter and values were consistent with others study [18]. It was inversely in summer. The Haleji lake supported the observed that the values of COD, F and K were found abundant growth of zooplankton and the water was above the permissible limits of WHO for drinking highly polluted with organic matter resulting from water. The levels of phosphate (7-16.5±12µg/L) (Fig. decay of plants and animals [12]. Another studies 8) classified the lake as oligiotrophic to mesotrophic, reported [13] water salinity 0.1-0.2g/L, pH 7.15-8, whereas the presence of nitrogen as ammonia (18- TDS 204-393 mg/L, chloride 35-106 mg/L, M- 263±135µg/L) (Fig. 9), lake had trophically stated Alkalinity 11-52 mg/L , hardness 82-120 mg/L, silica mesotrophic to eutrophic as earlier indicated from 1-10 mg/L, dissolved oxygen 7.6-8.6 mg/L, total Fuxianhu and Dianchi lakes of China [19]. phosphate 0.05-0.29 mg/L and ortho phosphate 10-38 µg/L. The concentration of metal ions were detected Present studies indicated higher values of for Na 23-106 mg/L, K 3-26 mg/L, Ca 29-61 mg/L pH (7.71-8.75±0.35), total dissolved solids (256- and Mg 8-35 mg/L and the data showed the quality 848±641mg/L) averages 641mg/L (Fig. 10), salinity of Haleji lake was within the permissible limits by (0.2-0.7g/L), chloride (42-218±58mg/L) with mean WHO standards for drinking water [14]. The Physico- 171mg/L (Fig. 11) and hardness (133-253±218) with chemical and biological characteristics of water mean 218mg/L (Fig. 12,Table-2). The values of K quality of Haleji lake is important to report and to (5.5-23±16mg/L), Mg (9-32±24mg/L) averages draw baseline data for planning and decisions making 24mg/L (Fig. 13) and Na (26-116±28) with average in future. 79mg/L (Fig. 14) were rather higher than the studies reported in 2001 for Haleji lake (Table-3) [13, 20]. Results and Discussion The colour of lake tarnished from transparent to yellowish green which resembles with water ponds of A number of variables were assessed Hungary [21] and this may become difficult for day including pH, temperature, conductance, total light penetration for the sustenance of aquatic life of dissolved solids, salinity, odour, transparency, BOD, lake. The addition of water remained variable and COD, DO, fluoride, chloride, bicarbonate, hardness, less amount of water is added occasionally.