Assessment of fluctuations of the physico-chemical parameters of water from Krishna estuarine region, East Coast of India

Abstract

Estuaries, exhibit a wide range of human effects directly or indirectly because of rapid population growth and uncontrolled developmental activities in coastal zones. The high level environmental problems playing estuaries require remedial actions to improve the viability and health of these valuable coastal ecosystems. The role of the anthropogenic activities indicates that the water quality in estuaries, particularly aquaculture and industrial development changes leads to the accumulation of chemical contaminants. The various physico-chemical parameters as temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen of the environment are the factors which mainly influence the production and successful propagation of aquatic organisms’ life in the coastal areas. Physico-chemical changes may have a tendency to mount up in the various organs of estuarine fauna especially fish which may, in turn enter into the human metabolism through consumption causing serious hazards. Hence the present study was carried out to determine the physico-chemical parameters of water sampled from different points on were during January to December 2014. The temperature was found to be maximum in summer months and minimum during the winter and rainy months. The salinity recorded highest in summer months and range goes to 10-25ppt. The total alkalinity and total hardness were slightly monthly variations and ranges were 152-220 ppm and 172-239 ppm respectively. The pH of the water found in an alkaline condition in the summer months and its range was 7.1-8.3. DO, nitrates and phosphates were found the slight monthly variations. The study indicates that fluctuations of physico-chemical parameters in the Krishna estuarine region influence the feeding and breeding activities of estuarine fauna.