Heavy metal accumulation in some selected ponds of district Ludhiana (Punjab), India

Abstract

In India, fresh water bodies particularly ponds form the lifeline of Indian villages. The present study was carried out to analyze various heavy metals in pond water of three different sites from July 2016 to March 2017 covering three annual seasons. The naturally occurring ponds of villages Kila Raipur and Lohatbaddi (Ludhiana) were selected as study sites while Fish Farm Complex in Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) served as control site. Surface water samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of heavy metals by ICAP–AES. The results of heavy metal analysis indicated that Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Lead and Zinc were primarily present in the water samples with concentration higher in the ponds of villages Lohatbaddi and Kila Raipur as compared to the control. This is a pointer of the high pollution load in these ponds as the water of these pond was recipient of solid waste, detergents and other chemicals from village households and the aquatic fauna was directly affected.