Assessment of heavy metals content due to idol immersion activities in surface water body (Futala Lake)

Heavy metals are important environmental pollutants and their toxicity is a problem of increasing significance for ecological, evolutionary and environmental reasons. In the present study, level of occurrence of heavy metals like lead (Pb), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) were estimated in Futala Lake, Nagpur city, Maharashtra, India. The monitoring was made over a period of three months viz. August (pr-immersion period), September (immersion period) and October (post-immersion period) respectively. The sampling points were selected on the basis of their importance. The heavy metal content had upward trends and followed the sequence: Fe> Mn> Pb> Cu> Cr >Cd> Zn>As. The area under study receives domestic sewage (poor) from pollution habitation, so also the activities like, cattle washing, dumping of garbage, cloth washing, bathing and idol immersion activities in large extent during and after festival seasons. Food chain polluted with toxic heavy metal is an important route for human exposure and may cause several dangerous effects on human hence constant monitoring and total ban on idol immersion activities is needed to maintain Futala Lake water quality fit for useful purposes.

Author(s): P. J. Puri, M.K.N. Yenkie, R.G. Choudhary, D.B. Rana and S.U. Meshram

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