Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY INDICES OF HEAVY METALPOLLUTION IN JOJARI RIVER (JODHPUR) USING MULTIVARIATESTATISTICS

Vandana Kachhwaha, Garima Sharma, Priya Tanwar and Pallavi Mishra

Abstract

The paper mainly aims at critically assessing the quality of different industrial effluents and also the Jojaririver water using “water quality index - (WQI) and heavy metal pollution index (HPI)- “statistical analysis.Samples were collected from different locations of the polluted industries of the Jodhpur City and the Jojaririver area in the summer of 2019-21. Their WQI ranged between 62.638634 to 164.28797, a very high valuefor irrigation. And the range of HPI of different sites ranged from 26074.41 to 84547.49. These values of HPIare also very high than the normal standard limits prescribed by WHO and BIS. Further, high concentrationsof Cd, Pb and Cr along with Ni, Zn and Cu were also detected. Since this water is openly used by thefarmers for irrigation of vegetables, pulses grains, spices, the heavy metal toxicity might be affecting thehealth of larger population of the Jodhpur city and its surrounding areas. Increasing cases of cancer andneurological disorders could be related to this toxicity.