A study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of Kalpakkam region, South India

This study investigates the heavy metal pollution vulnerability of the groundwater in the coastal aquifers of Kalpakkam region in the state of Tamilnadu, India. Integrated-approach includes pollution evaluation indices, principal component analysis (PCA), and correlation matrix (CM) to evaluate the...

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Main Authors: Chidambaram, S., Karmegam, U., Prasanna, Mohan, Sasidhar, P.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Springer US 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/39795
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author Chidambaram, S.
Karmegam, U.
Prasanna, Mohan
Sasidhar, P.
author_facet Chidambaram, S.
Karmegam, U.
Prasanna, Mohan
Sasidhar, P.
author_sort Chidambaram, S.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This study investigates the heavy metal pollution vulnerability of the groundwater in the coastal aquifers of Kalpakkam region in the state of Tamilnadu, India. Integrated-approach includes pollution evaluation indices, principal component analysis (PCA), and correlation matrix (CM) to evaluate the intensity and source of pollution in groundwater. The data have been used for the calculation of heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and degree of contamination (C d). The mean metal levels in groundwater followed a descending order as: Zn > Ba > Fe > Al > Se > Mn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > Mo > As > Cd > Sb > Be. The concentrations of Fe, Cd, Zn, Se, Ba, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Al in some of the groundwater samples exceed the maximum admissible concentration (MAC). The HPI and C d yield different results despite significant correlations between them. The following elemental associations were obtained from PCA and CM: Fe–Mn–Ni–Cr–Pb–Cd–Zn–Be–Al, Cu–As, Sb–As, Al–Ba and Se–Mo, which could be linked to anthropogenic sources (i.e., processes of tannery and dying industries with some contribution from the landfill leachate and municipal sewage). GIS-based factor score maps suggest that the activities of tannery industries and landfill leachate are pervasive processes in the area. This study has provided the evidence that effluents discharged from the tannery and auxiliary industries and landfill leachate are the main sources of heavy metal pollution in the groundwater. The high metal concentrations observed in the groundwater may have serious public health and potential environmental hazard implications.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-397952017-09-13T16:09:10Z A study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of Kalpakkam region, South India Chidambaram, S. Karmegam, U. Prasanna, Mohan Sasidhar, P. principal component analysis landfill leachate water quality heavy metal tannery effluent pollution indices This study investigates the heavy metal pollution vulnerability of the groundwater in the coastal aquifers of Kalpakkam region in the state of Tamilnadu, India. Integrated-approach includes pollution evaluation indices, principal component analysis (PCA), and correlation matrix (CM) to evaluate the intensity and source of pollution in groundwater. The data have been used for the calculation of heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and degree of contamination (C d). The mean metal levels in groundwater followed a descending order as: Zn > Ba > Fe > Al > Se > Mn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > Mo > As > Cd > Sb > Be. The concentrations of Fe, Cd, Zn, Se, Ba, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Al in some of the groundwater samples exceed the maximum admissible concentration (MAC). The HPI and C d yield different results despite significant correlations between them. The following elemental associations were obtained from PCA and CM: Fe–Mn–Ni–Cr–Pb–Cd–Zn–Be–Al, Cu–As, Sb–As, Al–Ba and Se–Mo, which could be linked to anthropogenic sources (i.e., processes of tannery and dying industries with some contribution from the landfill leachate and municipal sewage). GIS-based factor score maps suggest that the activities of tannery industries and landfill leachate are pervasive processes in the area. This study has provided the evidence that effluents discharged from the tannery and auxiliary industries and landfill leachate are the main sources of heavy metal pollution in the groundwater. The high metal concentrations observed in the groundwater may have serious public health and potential environmental hazard implications. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/39795 10.1007/s10669-012-9398-1 Springer US restricted
spellingShingle principal component analysis
landfill leachate
water quality
heavy metal
tannery effluent
pollution indices
Chidambaram, S.
Karmegam, U.
Prasanna, Mohan
Sasidhar, P.
A study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of Kalpakkam region, South India
title A study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of Kalpakkam region, South India
title_full A study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of Kalpakkam region, South India
title_fullStr A study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of Kalpakkam region, South India
title_full_unstemmed A study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of Kalpakkam region, South India
title_short A study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of Kalpakkam region, South India
title_sort study on evaluation of probable sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of kalpakkam region, south india
topic principal component analysis
landfill leachate
water quality
heavy metal
tannery effluent
pollution indices
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/39795