HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATION IN VAIGAI RESERVOIR AND PICKUP DAM WATER, THENI DISTRICT, TAMILNADU

Abstract

The present investigation was aimed to analyse the water quality from Vaigai reservoir and pickupdam during 2017-2018. Heavy metals such as aluminum, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron,nickel, lead and zinc were analysed in Vaigai reservoir and Pickup dam during 2017-2018. Ironshowed to be high followed by nickel and chromium in Vaigai reservoir while chromium was highfollowed by iron in Pickup dam. The maximum and average value of heavy metals present wasiron followed by chromium at both the sites. Among the heavy metals content, the lowest metalfound in these sites was zinc. In these sites aluminum, cadmium, chromium, iron, nickel and leadwere beyond the acceptable and permissible limits, while cobalt and copper were beyond theacceptable but within permissible limits. The highest average was chromium in Pickup dam andiron in Vaigai reservoir. Aluminium, cadmium, copper, nickel and lead are >5 and so it wasseriously affected based on the categories of water pollution index in both the sites. Metal contentin the study sites were found to be in the order of magnitude in Vaigai Reservoir as -Cd>Ni>Pb>Cr>Cu>Al>Fe>Zn and in Pickup Dam- Cd>Ni>Cr>Pb>Cu>Al> Fe>Zn.