Heavy Metals in Drinking Water Sources of Dehradun, Using Water Quality Indices

Abstract

This study appraise the heavy metal contamination in twenty drinking water sources of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India using water quality indices viz., heavy metal pollution index and heavy metal evaluation index. A total of six heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cr, & Fe) were analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopic (AAS) method during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. In accordance to BIS: 10500:2012, the monitored values of heavy metals have been used to evaluate heavy metal pollution index and heavy metal evaluation index in association with correlation coefficient. The results revealed the assessment of overall water quality with respect to heavy metal pollution. Heavy metal pollution index as well as heavy metal evaluation index of the water sources of Dehradun were found below the critical values of 100 and 20, respectively, which showed that there is no serious threat to human consumption with respect to studied heavy metals from sources analysed.