Evaluation of water quality and potential metal contamination in ecologically important Bhindawas bird sanctuary, India

Abstract

Considering the environmental, agricultural, and ecological significance of Bhindawas wetland, the present study is the first comprehensive investigation to assess the water quality, determine the suitability of water for aquatic life in the wetland; and its suitability for irrigation in areas around the wetland. Twenty samples of water from Bhindawas wetland were analyzed and spatial variations of dissolved oxygen (DO), dissolved phosphate, nitrate, and biological oxygen demand (BOD5) were observed. The concentration of DO was higher in areas with shallow depth and rich growth of submerged vegetation compared to deeper areas with no vegetation. Spatial variations of phosphate, nitrate, and heavy metals correlated with nesting zone of birds, runoff from agricultural fields, and wastewater from adjoining villages, respectively. Values of heavy metal pollution index (HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), and degree of contamination (Cd) in water confirmed high level of metal contamination of the medium. Based on the water quality index (WQI), the water was unsuitable for aquatic life and use in agricultural utilization. It can be concluded that water quality of Bhindawas wetland was adversely affected by heavy metals, which is a cause of concern since this wetland is a temporary resort of migratory birds. Immediate intervention is required to improve the water quality, especially scrutiny and inspection of the added wastewater from surrounding villages, and runoff from adjoining agricultural fields.