Journal of Environmental Biology

Evaluation of the physico-chemical characteristics

of river Varuna at Varanasi, India

S.R. Barai* and Satish Kumar

P.G. Department of Zoology, Udai Pratap Autonomous College, Varanasi ? 221 002, India

*Corresponding Author email : srbarai@rediffmail.com

Publication Data

Paper received:

30 April 2011

Revised received:

29 October 2011

Re-revised received:

19 January 2012

Accepted:

26 July 2012

Abstract

In present investigation an attempt was made to assess variation in physico-chemical characteristics of river Varuna at Varanasi. The water samples were collected monthly from five sites during January to December 2009 and analyzed for physico-chemical properties. The investigation showed variation in temperature (18.5-32.5^oC), transparency (13.5-77.0cm), pH (8.0-8.8), alkalinity (96-486 mgl^-1), free CO2 (1.6-64 mg l^-1), DO (0.12-8.4 mg l^-1), BOD (3.6-116.5 mg l^-1), COD (5.9-225.4 mg l^-1), chloride (11-80mg l^-1), nitrate (0.036-0.996 mgl^-1) and phosphate (0.06-1.36 mg l^-1). From the investigation it is clear that there was marked variation in different parameters at different sites during the different months of the year. The site-5 was found to be highly polluted (BOD 116.5 mg l^-1) whereas the site-1 (BOD 3.6 mg l^-1) was the least polluted.

Key words

River Varuna, Physico-chemical parameters, River pollution

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