Tiwari Dipti, Kumar Rajendra, Yadav Monika, Gupta Gopal Kumar, Singh Santosh Kumar, Dhapekar Nishikant Kishor, Alotaibi Majed A, Sharma Renuka
Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Rama University Kanpur 209217 Uttar Pradesh India.
Symbiosis Institute of Technology Nagpur Campus, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) Pune 440008 Maharashtra India.
RSC Adv. 2025 Jan 31;15(5):3290-3316. doi: 10.1039/d4ra06144f. eCollection 2025 Jan 29.
The Ganga river, one of the largest and most culturally significant rivers in India, supports millions of people living along its banks. However, extensive use and untreated wastewater discharge have led to significant contamination. This study utilizes land use and land cover (LULC) analysis, along with regular water sampling from 2021 to 2222, to assess variations in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and evaluate health risks posed by heavy metals across eight monitoring sites in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, Prayagraj, India. Results were compared with drinking water standards established by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The Water Quality Index (WQI) indicated substantial water quality degradation at sites S2 (Ganga) and S8 (Yamuna). Although heavy metal levels (Cu, Fe, Cd, Pb, Mn, Cr) fluctuated across sites, Pb and Cd frequently exceeded permissible limits. Health Risk Assessment (HRI) findings pointed to potential health risks at sites S4 (Ganga) and S8 (Yamuna) due to elevated Pb and Cd levels. The Heavy Metal Contamination Index (HMCI) ranged from 733.78 to 981.33, classifying all samples as highly polluted, with Heavy Metal Quality Index (HMQI) values also indicating high risk, especially at sites S4 and S8. Further analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis highlighted correlations among water quality parameters, while Pearson's correlation matrix and heat maps indicated positive relationships for DO, pH, alkalinity, and SO, with most heavy metals (except Zn and Mg) showing strong inter-correlations. These findings underline the urgent need for pollution control measures to safeguard public health in the region.
恒河是印度最大且在文化方面最重要的河流之一，养活了数百万生活在其沿岸的人口。然而，大量的使用以及未经处理的废水排放导致了严重的污染。本研究利用土地利用和土地覆盖（LULC）分析，以及在2021年至2222年期间定期进行的水样采集，来评估印度普拉亚格拉杰恒河和亚穆纳河八个监测点的物理、化学和生物特征变化，并评估重金属带来的健康风险。研究结果与印度标准局（BIS）和世界卫生组织（WHO）制定的饮用水标准进行了比较。水质指数（WQI）表明，S2（恒河）和S8（亚穆纳河）监测点的水质大幅退化。尽管各监测点的重金属含量（铜、铁、镉、铅、锰、铬）有所波动，但铅和镉经常超过允许限值。健康风险评估（HRI）结果表明，由于铅和镉含量升高，S4（恒河）和S8（亚穆纳河）监测点存在潜在健康风险。重金属污染指数（HMCI）在733.78至981.33之间，将所有样本归类为高度污染，重金属质量指数（HMQI）值也表明存在高风险，尤其是在S4和S8监测点。使用主成分分析（PCA）和聚类分析的进一步分析突出了水质参数之间的相关性，而皮尔逊相关矩阵和热图表明溶解氧（DO）、pH值、碱度和硫酸根（SO）之间呈正相关，大多数重金属（锌和镁除外）显示出很强的相互关联性。这些发现强调了采取污染控制措施以保障该地区公众健康的迫切需求。
