Evaluation of factors influencing surface water quality in a coalfield area of Damodar valley, India: a sustainable uses

ABSTRACT

A systematic study on the major ions and heavy metals was carried out for surface water resources of EB coalfield for water quality assessment, source apportionment and studying the geochemical processes controlling the surface water quality. Seasonal effect was not very prominent for the surface water quality parameters inclusive of metals, though some dilution was observed in some parameters during the monsoon season. Some of the parameters exceeded the drinking water limits like TDS, turbidity, NO₃⁻, F⁻, total hardness and Mg²⁺ in surface water. The Fe concentrations exceeded the desirable limit of the BIS standard in about 26% of the water sample. The surface water chemistry of the EB coalfield is influenced by extensive coal mining activities. The principal component analysis of metals and health concerning anions demonstrated that the data were synthesised into three loading factors with Eigen values >1 and explaining about 71.4% of the total variance. The extracted factors seem to indicate geogenic sources, coal mining and associated transportation. The quality assessment of the surface water for irrigation suitability suggested that the calculated parameters (SAR, %Na, RSC and MH) of water to be in the range of good to permissible; however, at a few sites, SAR values and MH make it unsuitable for irrigation. Thus, the study exemplified the need for awareness about the contamination of surface water within EB coalfield area. The findingsof the present study may be useful to decision-makers in developing plans for surface water quality management and sustainable use.

KEYWORDS:

• Surface water
• hydro-geochemistry
• metals
• principal component analysis
• quality assessment
• East Bokaro

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support provided for the study by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India (for the ISM/JRF fellowship) and the University Grants Commission (for Dr. D. S. Kothari’s postdoctoral fellowship-OT/15-16/0017). The analytical facility provided by the CSIR-Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, Dhanbad, is also thankfully acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi [OT/15-16/0017]; Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi [ISM/JRF/DR-2012/0047].