Times series record of water quality analysis during flood time in Cauvery River basin, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

We determine the spatial and temporal changes in the physicochemical and nutritional parameters of water quality in the Cauvery River basin. We also analyze the effects of anthropogenic and natural factors on the physicochemical and nutritional parameters. The river water samples were collected over a time series record of 6-h intervals for 6 days during and after flooding time. The combination of physicochemical and nutritional parameters generated a large dataset, which was processed using statistical analysis. In addition, statistical analysis was used to calculate the correlation coefficients and plot the regression equations relating various parameters to electrical conductivity (EC). The resulting average values of pH, EC, and total dissolved solids (TDS) showed significant differences in the time series record of the study period (i.e., pH = 8.24, EC = 220 S/m, and TDS = 157.1 mg/L). The values of the following nutritional parameters in floodwater were also determined: orthophosphate = 0.13 mg/L, phosphate = 0.1 mg/L, nitrite = 2.11 mg/L, nitrate = 0.79 mg/L, and ammonia = 4.47 mg/L. Our findings indicates that flooding can deteriorate the groundwater quality, resulting in a decrease in water quality and an increase in contamination levels, which can have detrimental effects on both the environment and human health. This information is crucial to decision making in flood risk management, water resource planning, and conservation efforts to protect both human and ecological systems.