Pollution Research Paper

Vol 40, Issue 2, 2021; Page No.(548-552 )

GEOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF HOT SPRING WATER IN SIKKIM HIMALAYA: A BASELINE APPROACH

BANASHREE DEORI, RAKESH K. RANJAN AND SHRUTI DUTTA

Abstract

The hot springs have gained significant attention owing to its religious faith and medicinal importance in addition to domestic and international tourism. There has been a scarcity of work done in the Sikkim Himalayas at the numerous hot springs. The present study attempts to fill the gap and examines the physico-geochemical characteristics aims of selected hot springs at the northern and western regions of Sikkim. The hardness and ion studies alongwith major and trace elements reveal that Ca and Mg show higher concentration in few springs, whereas Reshi hot spring shows high enrichment of Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na followed by Borong hot spring. A similar concentration was observed for Se at all the HS water. The observed concentration of different elements and ions are significantly within the permissible limit as recommended by BIS 2012.