Abstract
In the present study, surface water samples were collected during three seasons (summer, monsoon and winter) from four different study sites (T-dam, Padma Garden, I-dam and Talaimari point) of Padma River at Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and various physicochemical and bacterial parameters were analyzed based on standard methods. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in physicochemical parameters were observed among the seasons and sites except for water temperature. However, except for fecal coliform, other bacterial parameters such as total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliform and Vibrio cholerae counts showed significant differences (p < 0.05) among the seasons, while difference among the sites was insignificant (p < 0.05). The result also showed that all the bacterial parameters were maximum during summer and minimum during monsoon season. Untreated sewage and industrial effluents together with reduced water flow and water level were found to increase bacterial counts during summer at Site 2 (Padma Garden). Although the present situation is not serious and alarming enough, the river water requires intensive monitoring to improve its quality for better and sustainable management.
Highlights
Global freshwater scarcity due to the pollution of water demands for integrating water management and monitoring all over the world (Dahunsi et al 2014)
Recorded water temperature showed significant (p < 0.05) seasonal variation which is lower in winter and higher in summer season
Decreasing water level and increasing amount of insoluble pollutants during summer make the water hotter, which is in agreement with the findings of Boyle and Fraleigh (2003) and Ezzat et al (2012) where they reported that discharge of pollutants can increase the temperature of water
Summary
Global freshwater scarcity due to the pollution of water demands for integrating water management and monitoring all over the world (Dahunsi et al 2014). Assessment of water quality in terms of physicochemical and microbial aspects can help to take effective management decision to prevent those (Behbahaninia et al 2009). Rajshahi City, located in the northwest part of Bangladesh on the bank of the River Padma, has experienced considerable growth over the past few decades. These residential and commercial establishments along the River Padma cause discharge of wastewater either directly into the river or into the drains which subsequently find their way into the river. Seasonal variations in both of the anthropogenic and natural processes such as temperature and precipitations affect the quality of river water and lead to different attributes between seasons. It is important to perform river quality assessment to detect the alterations of the water quality and evaluate pollution sources
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