Pesticide pollution in ground water of Vadodara city

Abstract

The main causes of water pollution are urbanization due to increase in population, industrialization and use of more and more fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural fields. The ground water samples in and around city were collected during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon period in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and analysed for physico-chemical parameters and pesticides' residues (Aldrin, <img src='/image/spc_char/alpha.gif' border=0>-BHC, <img src='/image/spc_char/gamma2.gif' border=0>-BHC, <img src='/image/spc_char/delta1.gif' border=0>-BHC, DDD,DDE, <img src='/image/spc_char/alpha.gif' border=0>-Endosulphan and Metoxychlor). The data of ground water quality was processed as per Bureau of Indian Standards and WHO standards to examine the suitability of ground water for drinking purpose. It was observed that the values of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the ground water varies from 486 to 3507 mg/L. Almost all the samples were found above the desirable limit of 500 mg/L but within the maximum permissible limit of 2000 mg/L. The total hardness values in the study area range from 79 to 1144 mg/L. About 40% of the samples fall within desirable limit of 300 mg/L and 29% sample cross the permissible limit of 600 mg/L. The concentrations of <img src='/image/spc_char/alpha.gif' border=0>-BHC, <img src='/image/spc_char/gamma2.gif' border=0>-BHC, <img src='/image/spc_char/delta1.gif' border=0>-BHC Aldrin, <img src='/image/spc_char/alpha.gif' border=0>-Endosulphan and Methoxychlor were exceeded the prescribed limit of 1.0 μg/L in few ground water samples. Recommendations have been given to purify the drinking water in the paper.