Seasonal assessment of physicochemical parameters and evaluation of water quality of river Yamuna, India

Abstract

The concentrations of toxic effluents released into freshwater aquatic environments are increasing day by day and affect the aquatic biota. The present study outlined the evaluation of <em>physicochemical parameters such as</em> water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphates (PO₄^2--P), nitrates (NO₃^--N), electrical conductivity (EC) chlorides (Cl^-). Also, the <em>Water Quality Index (WQI)</em> for the water samples collected from the selected stations of the Yamuna River was calculated in order to assess its suitability for<em> drinking</em>, <em>irrigation </em>and<em> agricultural purposes</em>. The <em>Weighted Arithmetic Index method was used to calculate the WQI.</em> The WQI was found to be above 100 at all three stations, which was critical and indicated that the water quality grading fell in the E category, which made the water unsuitable for drinking and agricultural purposes. The assessment of physicochemical parameters indicated that the selected stations were badly impacted by industrial effluents and domestic sewage; thus, the river water should be treated before use to avoid water-related diseases that can have harmful effects on humans and aquatic biota.