Assessment of heavy metal contamination within the sediments in some fresh water lakes of Udaipur

Abstract

Heavy metal concentrations were assessed in sediment samples collected from three lakes of Udaipur, Rajasthan. The aim of the present investigation was to compare the lakes for season wise addition of pollution load. The assessment of heavy metals was done using Contamination factor (CF), Geo accumulation index (Igeo) and Pollution load index (PLI). In summer CF varied from 0.01 to 7.43 i.e low to very high but in winter season all three lakes represented high CF factor. Likewise Igeo index in the sediments for summer ranged between 0.41 to 14.48 mg/kg i.e uncontaminated to moderate to heavy to extreme levels in sediments of lakes and trends were of the order Mn>Zn>Pb>Ni>Cu>Cd. In winter Igeo index ranged between 1.34 to 19.3 mg/kg which is uncontaminated to extreme contamination in bottom sediments and trends were of the order Mn>Zn>Pb>Ni>Cu>Cd. Pollution load index in winter season represented high value i.e more than 1 in both Dudh Talai and Udai Sagar Lake. The proposed study suggested that heavy metal accumulation in sediments during winter was higher than summer season. This has a very significant relevance where the contaminated sediments have one of the most challenging pollution issues owning to the toxicity persistence and bioaccumulation issues of food web.