Monitoring and assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface water and sediment of the Old Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study was conducted to measure globally alarming of ten heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Al, Ni, Co, Zn and Mn) in surface water and sediment of the Old Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh. The observed order of heavy metal mean concentration in water and sediments is Al > Mn > Ni > Co > Cu > Pb > Zn > Cr > Cd > Hg in mg/l and Al > Mn > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cr > Cu > Co > Cd > Hg in mg/kg, respectively. The significant variations of Cr, Cu, Al and Ni were found in the water of all seasons (p < 0.05), while sediment showed Pb and Hg exhibited substantial changes in terms of seasons (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis and correlation matrix revealed that significant anthropogenic input of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Al, Ni, Co, Zn and Mn in water and sediment. In case of water, very strong linear relationships exhibited in Ni versus Cu (0.911), Ni versus Al (0.910), Mn versus Co (0.882), Cr versus Al (0.877), Cu versus Cd (0.853), Ni versus Pb (0.850), Zn versus Cr (0.833), Ni versus Cd (0.828), Cu versus Cr (0.827), Al versus Cd (0.827) and Zn versus Co (0.804) at the significance level 0.05. In sediments, very strong linear relationships were noted in Zn versus Cr (0.889), Al versus Pb (0.848), Co versus Al (0.819) and Mn versus Co (0.806) at the significance level 0.05. The result discovered that water and sediment quality of the Old Brahmaputra River became contaminated due to the anthropogenic sources of industrial, domestic and irrigation discharges. This environmental monitoring and assessment research will be useful for the management and planning for the protection of this river.