AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 ASSESMENT OF GROUNDWATER POLLUTION IN AND AROUND LALGUDI TALUK, TRICHY DISTRICT, TAMILNADU, INDIA R. Arulnangai, M. Mohamed Sihabudeeen & S. Farook Basha PG and Research Department of Chemistry, Jamal Mohamed College (Autonomous), Tiruchirapalli - 20 (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University) Tiruchirapalli - 20 ______________________________________________________________________________ Abstract Physicochemical and Heavy metal analysis was carried out in Lalgudi taluk at Tiruchirapalli District in Tamilnadu with the objective of understanding the suitability of groundwater quality for domestic and irrigation purposes. Ground water samples were collected from 8 locations during (March 2020) analyzed for physico - chemical parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Hardness, Calcium, Magnesium, Carbonate, Bicarbonate, Chloride, Dissolved oxygen, Biological oxygen demand, Chemical oxygen demand, Copper, Zinc and Iron. In the present study calculated the value of ground water of Tiruchirapalli District. In this study water quality clearly shows that the status of the water body is unsuitable for drinking purpose. Keywords: Groundwater, physico – chemical parameters and Heavy metal analysis, Lalgudi taluk Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1012 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 INTRODUCTION Water is the basis of all life. It is fundamental for human existence, ecological balance and for the very future of our planet. Water covers about 70% Humans and other animals have developed senses that enable them to evaluate the portability of water by avoiding water that is too salty or putrid. Water plays an important role in the world economy. (1)Approximately 70% of the freshwater used by humans goes to agriculture. Fishing in salt and fresh water bodies is a major source of food for many parts of the world. Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other life forms even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients. (2) The most important use of water in agriculture is for irrigation, which is a key component to produce enough food. Groundwater is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal, and industrial use by constructing and operating extraction wells.(3) Groundwater is often cheaper, more convenient and less vulnerable to pollution than surface water. Therefore, it is commonly used for public water supplies. Polluted groundwater is less visible, but more difficult to clean up, than pollution in rivers and lakes. (4) Groundwater pollution most often results from improper disposal of wastes on land. Major sources include industrial and household chemicals and garbage landfills, excessive fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture, industrial waste lagoons, tailings and process wastewater from mines, industrial franking, oil field brine pits, leaking underground oil storage tanks and pipelines, sewage sludge and septic systems.(5) When something is added to the environment that makes it unclean or unsafe it is called pollution. Study Area Lalgudi Taluk Lalgudi taluk is an administrative area of Tiruchirapalli district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Lalgudi. The taluk hosts 78 villages. 45 are under the revenue block of lalgudi. The remaining 33 villages are under the revenue block of Pullambadi. According to the 2011 census, Lalgudi had a population of 254,705 with 124,855 males and 129,850 females. The ground water samples were analysed from Bore wells at eight different stations in and around Tiruchirappalli district at Lalgudi Talu` Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1013 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 Location map of the study area TABLE-1:Water Sampling Stations And Sample Number S.No Sampling Stations Sample Number 1 Lalgudi A1 2 Sirudhayur A2 3 Angarai A3 4 Puvalur A4 5 Kattur A5 6 Nannimangalam A6 71 SathamangalamLalgudi A7A1 8 Kopavali A8 Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1014 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 Materials and methods: The ground water samples were collected from different locations of Lalgudi taluk .The physico-chemical and Heavy metal parameters are analyzed during 2020 April month. Samples were collected in polyethylene can (2-5lit) which had been thoroughly washed and filled distilled water and then taken to the sample site. The result was compared with WHO standard values (2011). Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1015 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 Result and Discussion TABLE-2: PHYSICO - CHEMICAL AND HEAVY METAL ANALYSIS OF GROUND WATER COLLECTED FROM LALGUDI TALUK AT TIRUCHIRAPPALLI- DISTRICT IN THE MONTH OF APRIL -2020 Sampling Stations pH EC TDS TH Ca Mg CO3 HCO3 DO BOD COD Cu Zn Fe A1 9.4 4812 3349 324 110 65 30 145 4.4 15 22 0.06 0.04 0.15 A2 7.2 3912 2722 363 112 63 ND 160 3.5 17 24 0.05 0.03 0.14 A3 7.3 1357 944 534 163 74 ND 175 4.8 13 33 0.04 0.04 0.17 A4 8.2 2678 1863 394 154 78 ND 260 5.6 18 26 0.03 0.04 0.16 A5 8.2 2418 1682 326 128 69 ND 215 6 19 27 0.04 0.06 0.09 A6 9.5 3512 2444 314 122 68 ND 220 5.4 11 27 0.07 0.05 0.14 A7 8.3 4812 3349 348 133 61 ND 335 5.8 14 22 0.05 0.02 0.19 A8 8.7 5812 4092 372 142 68 32 250 4.6 16 19 0.07 0.06 0.09 Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1016 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 pH The purpose of finding the pH value is to determine whether the drinking water is acidic or alkaline in nature. In the present investigation, the pH values of water sample varied between 7.2 to 9.5 and were found above the limit prescribed by WHO(6.5 to 8.5) except the sample A2,A3,A4,A5,A7.All the water samples are slightly alkaline due to the presence of carbonates and bicarbonates.(6) Electrical Conductivity (EC) The Electrical Conductivity (EC) of water depends on the concentration of ions and its nutrient status. (7) The EC values were in the range of 1357μmhos/cm to 5812μmhos/cm. In the presence study of the EC values in all the water samples are above the permissible limit set by WHO(600μmhos/cm). This may be due to the present of high amount of dissolved inorganic substance in ionized for water. Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1017 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) TDS is related to other water quality parameters like hardness, which may occur if the high TDS content is due to the presence of carbonates. (8) Total dissolved solids values are found in the range of 944ppm to 4092ppm. TDS values of all ground water samples are above the permissible limits of WHO (500ppm). Total Hardness (TH) TH is directly related to the purity of water and the quality of water purification system and affects everything that consumes, lives in, or uses water, whether organic or inorganic, whether for better or for worse.(9) Hardness of water is the capacity of water to react with soap, hard water requiring considerably more soap to produce lathe. (10) Hardness is one of the important properties of groundwater from utility point of view for different purposes. The Total Hardness found to in the range of 314ppm to 534ppm.The permissible limit of WHO value is (500ppm). Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1018 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 Calcium (Ca) Calcium occurs in water mainly due to the presence of limestone, gypsum and dolomite minerals. (11) The calcium values are found in the range of 110ppm to 163ppm. The permissible limit of calcium is 100ppm according to WHO. Higher the amount of calcium causes harmful effects on the health. Magnesium (Mg) Magnesium is directly related to hardness. (12) The Magnesium values are found in the range of 61ppm to 78ppm. Magnesium values of all the ground water samples are lower than the permissible limit of WHO value (150ppm). Carbonate (CO3) The CO3 values are found in the range of 30ppm to 32ppm. Carbonate values are found in two of the water samples (A1 & A8) and hence carbonate not detectable in the remaining samples. The low level of carbonate in water was observed from the result according toWHO. Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1019 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 Bicarbonate (HCO3) The Bicarbonate values are found in the range of 160ppm to 335ppm. Bicarbonate values of ground water samples exceeding lower than the permissible limit of WHO values (500ppm). Dissolved Oxygen (DO) DO is necessary and needed for good water quality Dissolved oxygen present in drinking water adds taste and it is highly fluctuating factor in water.(13) The permissible limit of DO is 6ppm according to WHO. The present samples DO values have registered at the range of 3.5ppm to 6.0ppm. Volume 8, Issue 7, 2020 http://aegaeum.com/ Page No:1020 AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) Biological oxygen demand increases as the bio degradable organic content increases in water. (14) The permissible limit of BOD is 6ppm according to WHO. The present samples DO values have registered at the range of 11ppm to 19ppm. The high level of BOD in water was observed from the result according to WHO. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) High COD may cause oxygen depletion on account of decomposition of microbes to a level detrimental to aquatic life. (15) In this study COD found in the range of 19ppm to 33ppm.