Assessment of heavy metal contamination of road dusts from industrial areas of Hyderabad, India.

Road dust in industrial areas carries high levels of toxic heavy metals. Exposure to such polluted dust significantly affects the health of people residing in these areas, which is of major concern. The present study was taken up with an aim to highlight the magnitude and potential sources of accumulation of heavy metals in 32 road dust samples collected from six industrial areas of Hyderabad. Acid-digested sample solutions were analyzed by ICP-MS for Cu, Zn, Cr, Co, Pb, Ni, V, Zr, Ce, Y, and Hf. The road dusts exhibit significantly high mean metal levels which are much above their crustal abundances. The relative ordering of mean metal contents is Zr > Zn > Pb > Cr > Ce > Cu > V > Ni > Y > Co > Hf. Elevated pollution indices (I geo, EF, C (i) f, and C deg) reveal that the road dusts are pollution impacted showing varying degree of heavy metal contamination. Strong positive correlations exhibited by metal pairs Cu-Zn, Cr-Ni, Ce-V, Y-Ce, and Hf-Zr imply their origin from common anthropogenic sources. Principal component analysis grouped the metals according to the sources which contributed to their accumulation. The present study confirms to an intensive anthropogenic impact on the accumulation of heavy metals in the studied road dusts attributable mainly to strong influences of vehicular and industrial activity and partly to domestic and natural processes. The results obtained imply the need for further investigations to assess their ecological implications and human health risks.

Assessment of groundwater quality in a structurally deformed granitic terrain in Hyderabad, India.

Geochemical study of groundwater from a structurally deformed granitic terrain near Hyderabad (India) was carried out to understand and evaluate the hydrogeochemical processes and quality of groundwater. Several trace elements (Fe, Mn, Be, Al, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Pb, U) along with major ions and minor elements were precisely estimated in shallow and drilled wells to know the suitability of water for drinking and irrigation purposes. Analytical data shows that pH and major ion chemistry in dug wells and bore wells do not vary significantly, while some trace elements (Fe, Mn, Al, Be, Co, Pb, U and Zn) vary in dug wells and bore wells, which can be attributed to differential mineral weathering and dissolution/precipitation reactions along fractures/joints. Although the water is not potable, it was found to be suitable for irrigation with little danger in the development of harmful level of exchangeable sodium. It is inferred that the chemical composition of the groundwater in this region is likely to have its origin from silicate weathering reactions and dissolution/precipitation processes supported by rainfall and groundwater flow.