Assessment of heavy metal pollution in water using multivariate statistical techniques in an industrial area: a case study from Patancheru, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Application of different multivariate statistical approaches for the interpretation of data obtained during a monitoring programme of surface and groundwater in Patancheru industrial town near Hyderabad (India) is presented in this study. A number of chemical and pharmaceutical industries have been established since past three decades. Effluents from these industries are reportedly being directly discharged onto surrounding land, irrigation fields and surface water bodies forming point and non-point sources of contamination for groundwater in the study area. Thirteen parameters including trace elements (B, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Sr, Ba and Pb) have been monitored on 53 sampling points from a hydrogeochemical survey conducted in surface and groundwater. Data set thus obtained was treated using R-mode factor analysis (FA) and principal component analysis (PCA). FA identified four factors responsible for data structure explaining 75% of total variance in surface water and two factors in groundwater explaining 85%, and allowed to group selected parameters according to common features. Sr, Ba, Co, Ni and Cr were associated and controlled by mixed origin with similar contribution from anthropogenic and geogenic sources whereas Fe, Mn, As, Pb, Zn, B and Co were derived from anthropogenic activities. This study indicates the necessity and usefulness of multivariate statistical techniques for evaluation and interpretation of the data with a view to get better information about the water quality and design some remedial techniques to prevent the pollution caused by hazardous toxic elements in future.

Distribution of heavy metals in surface water of Ranipet industrial area in Tamil Nadu, India.

Ranipet industrial area is about 120 km from Chennai on Chennai-Bangalore highway and is a chronic polluted area identified by Central Pollution Control Board of India. It is one of the biggest exporting centers of tanned leather in India. The total number of industries located in and around Ranipet town are 240 tanneries along with ceramic, refractory, boiler auxiliaries plant, and chromium chemicals. Studies were carried out to find out the contamination of surface water bodies due to industrial effluents. The results reveal that the surface water in the area is highly contaminated showing very high concentrations of some of the heavy/toxic metals like Cadmium ranging from 0.2 to 401.4 microg/l (average of 51.1 microg/l), Chromium 2.4-1,308.6 (average of 247.2 microg/l), Copper 2.1-535.5 microg/l (average of 95.5 microg/l), Nickel 1.6-147.0 microg/l (average of 36.7 microg/l), Lead 6.4-2,034.4 microg/l (average of 467.8 microg/l) and Zinc 20.8-12,718.0 microg/l (average of 3,760.4 microg/l). The concentration levels of these metals are much above the permissible limits in surface water and are health hazards especially for the people working in the tannery industries. It was observed that the people in the area are seriously affected and suffering from occupational diseases such as asthma, chromium ulcers and skin diseases. Distribution of metals, their contents at different locations, and their effects on human health are discussed in this paper.