JASEM ISSN 1119-8362 Full-text Available Online at J. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage.

December, 2009
All rights reserved www.bioline.org.br/ja Vol. 13(4) 47 - 50

Some Trace Elements Investigation in Ground Water of Bhopal & Sehore District in
Madhya Pradesh: India
1
AKHILESH JINWAL; 2 SAVITA DIXIT; 3 SUMAN MALIK
1
Research Assistant, Water Quality Laboratory Level II+ WRD Bhopal Mob 09827255572 email: [email protected].
2
Applied Chemistry Department Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology Bhopal M.P. India in No. 462007, Phone 91 0755 2428155
email [email protected]
3
Chemistry Department, Sadhu Vaswani College, Saint Hirdaram Nagar, Bairagarh Bhopal M.P.

ABSTRACT: This paper deals with short review and the determination of seven heavy metals viz: Cu, Fe, Mn,
Zn, Ni, Cr and Pb in the groundwater of different sites of two districts (Sehore and Bhopal) of Madhya Pradesh. All
activities carried out on the ground surface have direct or indirect impact on the groundwater whether associated with
urban , industrial or agricultural activities large scale concentrated source of pollutants such as industrial discharge,
and subsurface injection of chemicals and hazardous are obvious source of ground water pollutants . This study was
carried out in the month of during February to April 2003. The samples were collected from eight different source of
Sehore district and seven different source of Bhopal city. The results obtained are compared with safe limits in PPM
for heavy metals laid down by BIS, WHO, ICMR, APHA. @ JASEM

Water is one of the very precious substances on the very essential for human metabolism. Dye and
earth. It is very essential for the existence and tannery industries pollute the water through
survival of life. As population grows and their need chromium and other harmful chemicals. Many nickel
for water increases, the pressure on our groundwater salts are water soluble there contamination can arise.
resources also increases. In many areas of the world, The level of nickel usually found in food and water
groundwater is now being over extracted, in some are not considered a serious health hazards. Because
places massively so, the results is falling water levels of low solubility of chromium the levels found in
and declining well yield, land subsidence and water are usually low (9.7 mg/lit). Lead comes in
ecological damage such as the drying out of water by corrosion in lead alloys made pipes and with
wetlands. The trace metals in water behave in a out treating car and motors batteries. Many industries
typical manner. No single mechanism is sufficient to prepared litharge and lead peroxide pollute the
explain the process that are undergoing in the water. groundwater by their effluents. The levels in drinking
Trace metals like Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni etc are very water however can be much higher owing to the use
important for the proper functioning of the biological of lead services pipes and lead lined storage tanks.
system and their deficiency or excess in the human Moreover the domestic sewage and sewage of many
system can lead number of disorders other trace chemicals laboratories play an important role in
metals like Pb, As, Hg etc are not only biologically pollution of groundwater. They discharge detergents,
non essential but definitely toxic. The potential toxic chemically treated wastewater and spoilt vegetables,
metal element such as Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn etc are fruits and used chemicals.
identified to cause health hazards in animals. In case
of many heavy metals, bio-magnification occurs Trace elements in groundwater: Pollution of
through food chain so, it is necessary to discuss the groundwater is an impairment of water quality by
theoretical aspects of trace metals for easy chemicals, heat or bacteria to a degree, that does not
understanding of their metabolic activities. necessarily create and actual public heath hazards,
Cu and Fe is mixed in groundwater by rocks bearing but does adversely affect such water for domestic,
iron and copper bearing ores viz; cuprite, melakite, farm, municipal or industrial use. Many trace
azurites, hematite, magnetite and iron pyrite. Fe in elements are essential nutrients however certain trace
surface water is generally present in the ferric (Fe III) elements such as As, Cd, and Hg are known to be
state. Concentration of Fe greater than 1mg/lit. have persistent environment contamination and toxic to
been reported to occur in groundwater. The average most form of life. Trace elements are generally
daily requirements of iron is considered to be 10 mg. present in small concentration in natural water
Mn plays a role in the proper functioning of system. Their occurrence in groundwater and surface
flavoroteins and in the synthesis of sulphated water can be due to natural sources such as
mucopolysaccaharides, cholesterol, hemoglobin and dissolution of naturally occurring minerals containing
in many other metabolic processes. trace elements in the soil zone or the aquifer material
Leaching of zinc from galvanized pipes, brass and or to human activities such as mining, fuels, smelting
zinc containing fittings plays a serious role in of ores and improper disposal of industrial wastes.
groundwater pollution, but in required quantity it is
* Corresponding author: Akhilesh Jinwal
 Some Trace Elements Investigation in Ground Water of Bhopal & Sehore District in Madhya 48

response. Air and Acetylene were used as oxidant

MATERIAL AND METHODS and fuel respectively.
Selection of sites: Seven water samples were
collected from Bhopal district and eight water RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
samples were collected from Sehore district from The distribution of some trace metals in Bhopal and
different sites in polyethylene container which were Sehore districts dug wells water samples have been
thoroughly cleaned with 1:1 HNO3 rinsed several depicted in table 1 and 2 respectively. Safe limits in
times with distilled water and dried in electric oven. PPM ( as per BIS,WHO, ICMR, APHA ) and
The collected water samples were grouped under minimum acceptable and maximum acceptable limits
categories S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, (Bhopal for drinking purpose use of groundwater and adverse
District) and S8, S9, S10, S11, S12, S13, S14, S15 effect on living bodies are show in table 3.
(Sehore District).
Table 1: Concentration of heavy metals in Bhopal District.
Bhopal District Sehore District Heavy Concentration in PPB
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7
S1 Najirabad S8 Astha Cu 7 7 3 2 0 6 0
S2 Berasia S9 Jattakheda Fe 330 913 145 1037 509 134 0
S3 Gunga S10 Chandbad Mn 38 58 1 1 60 50 0
S4 Islamnagar S11 Sehore Zn 232 30 338 794 0 41 1
Ni 14 0 0 0 30 9 0
S5 Balrampurghati S12 Bilkisganj Cr 46 33 0 69 27 60 121
S6 Bilkhiriya S13 Icchawar Pb 37 0 0 0 0 0 29
S7 Ahmedpur S14 Nadan
S15 Larkui
Table 2: Concentration of heavy metals in Sehore District.
Reagents: Only analytical reagent grade chemical Heavy Concentration in PPB
S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15
were used. Cu 4 0 0 0 17 4 3 16
Fe 0 7 459 0 3330 0 7 263
Analytical Procedure: Flame Atomic Absorption Mn 121 0 35 11 67 0 20 26
spectrophotometer methods were used for the Zn 346 91 79 121 86 83 998 601
Ni 16 4 0 0 0 0 0 32
determination of all the trace metals resonance lines Cr 0 27 0 0 17 0 21 0
and hollow cathode lamps of respective metals were Pb 0 0 50 60 0 0 26 0
used and the instruments was optimize for maximum

Table 3: Safe limits in PPM (as per BIS, WHO, ICMR, APHA) & Minimum Acceptable & Maximum Acceptable limits for drinking
purpose use of Ground Water & Adverse effect on wring Bodies.
S/No. Heavy Metals Ground Water Effect on lifting
Maxi Mini
1 Lead 0.05 Toxic plumb solvency diseases, burning in mouth, several inflammations in gastro
intestinal track, causes paralysis mental confusion, visual disturbance anemia etc.
2 Chromium 0.05 Carcinogenic acuity (cancer), can produce coetaneous and nasal mucous membrane
ulcer & Dermatitis, Hexavalent Cr causes lung tumors
3 Copper 1.5 0.05 Astringent taste but essential elements for metabolism, deficiency results is anemia in
infants, excess may results in liver damage.
4 Nickel 0.02 May be carcinogenic, can react with DNA. Resulting in DNA damage.
5 Mercury 0.001 Causes minimata disease also causes blue baby disease in Infants the color of skin in
baby is turn into blue. Paralysis.
6 Iron 0.3 1.0 Promote Iron Bacteria in water, bad Taste, In trace is nutritional.
7 Manganese 0.5 0.05 Produces bad taste, essential as cofactor in enzyme system & metabolism process.
Excess causes reduced metabolism of iron to form Hemoglobin.
8 Zinc 15 5 Causes Astringent taste & opalescence in water, Essential elements in human
metabolism.
9 Selenium 0.01 Toxic, leads to hair & finger loss, numbness in fingers or toes, causes circulatory
problems.
10 Arsenic 0.05 Beyond this limit water become toxic, causes skin damage circulatory problem
increase risk of skin cancer, (found in ground water in Rajnandgaon district in M.P.
also seen very much skin problems in slums area that are mainly depends on ground
water source for drinking purpose.)
1 PPM = 1000 PPB

* Corresponding author: Akhilesh Jinwal

 Some Trace Elements Investigation in Ground Water of Bhopal & Sehore District in Madhya 49

Discussion of Results: The occurrence of trace Conclusion: Systematic study of the chemical data
elements in natural water is affected both by hydro obtained as results of analysis of ground water
chemical factors like mineral composition of the samples from Sehore and Bhopal districts are
rocks, soil characteristics etc as well as by affected by one or more of the studied trace metals.
anthropogenic activities and likely to show both At least 60% of the population is still dependent on
temporal and spatial variation. ground water sources for drinking purpose, especially
in outer city and distant villages. According to the
Copper: According to limits prescribed by various analysis of some water samples of Bhopal and Sehore
authorities (WHO, ICMR, APHA, BIS) it was found district of Madhya Pradesh, the Copper, Manganese,
that all the samples collected from the sources were Lead, and Zinc are not found beyond limit, while Iron
free from copper, the average value of copper in all and Chromium are found towards little higher sides
water samples are much below the permissible limits. on some places and Nickel is found higher only in
Iron: According to BIS and ICMR the maximum Balrampurghati and Larkui sample, but these metals
allowable concentration and the permissible are essentials for our body metabolism. They play
concentration in drinking water in 1.0 PPM and 0.3 role of co-factor in activity of enzyme.
PPM respectively. It is content of hemoglobin, so it is Thus to keep ground water free from Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb,
very necessary for all living organism but in excess etc and other ions the following Recommendation
promote iron bacteria in water. Iron is excess in S1, should be taken into account.
S2, S4, S5 samples of Bhopal district and S10, S12 1. Chromium enriched refuge should be properly
samples of Sehore district. treated and then disposed off. Construction of
Manganese: The maximum allowable concentration ground water structure on dumping sites or its
and permissible concentration of manganese in immediate vicinity should be avoided as Cr
drinking water is 0.5 PPM and 0.05 PPM respectively pollution relates to point source.
according to WHO, BIS, and ICMR. Most of the 2. Industries should be set up their effluents
water samples analyses had less than 100 PPB (0.1 treatment plants (EFT) independent or jointly as
PPM) except S8 sample in Sehore district. per norms and should remain effectively
Zinc: Zinc is an essential plant and human nutrient. operational in order to safe guard the ground
The maximum allowable concentration and water for future generation.
permissible concentration of zinc in drinking water 3. In agricultural excessive use of nitrogenous and
are 15 PPM and 5 PPM respectively. According to phosphates fertilizers should be avoided so that it
WHO, ICMR, APHA the average value of zinc in all does not leach down to ground water and
the water samples are below the permissible limit. deteriorate its quality.
The concentration of zinc in all water samples is 4. Mass awareness should be generated about the
below 1000 PPB (1 PPM). Hence all the samples over use of pesticide, its harmful effects on
collected from all sources are below from maximum quality of water and human health.
permissible limit for zinc.
Nickel: The permissible concentration of nickel in REFERENCES
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* Corresponding author: Akhilesh Jinwal

 Some Trace Elements Investigation in Ground Water of Bhopal & Sehore District in Madhya 50

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* Corresponding author: Akhilesh Jinwal