© Kamla-Raj 2010 J Hum Ecol, 32(3): 169-173 (2010)

Physical, Chemical and Bacteriological Study of Water from

Rivers of Uttarakhand
Ashok Kumar1*, B.S. Bisht1, V.D. Joshi2, A.K. Singh3 and Amitabh Talwar4

1. Department of Zoology/ Entomology, HNBGU (A Central University), SRT Campus

Badshahithaul Tehri 249199, Uttarakhand, India
2. Department of Zoology, Govt. PG College, Kotwara, Uttarakhand India
3. Department of Zoology and Biotechnology, HNBGUCA Cental University, Srinagar
Garhwal 246 174, Uttarakhand, India
4. Department of Biotechnology, Himachal Institute of Life Sciences, Paonta Sahib,
Distt-Sirmour 173025, Himachal Pradesh, India

KEYWORDS Chemical Parameters. Water Samples. Turbidity. BOD. COD. E. coli

ABSTRACT This study carried out in the month of April-June (2009) for which five rivers were chosen i.e. Alaknanda (A),
Bhagirathi (B), Ganga (G), Mandakini (M) and Yamuna (Y). Water samples were collected from nine monitoring stations viz.
Devprayag (2), Gangotri (1), Haridwar (2), Rudraprayag (2), Dakpathar (1) and Yamunotri (1). The samples were analyzed
for physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. The sample temperatures ranged from 7.8 - 280C, pH from 7.02 - 8.16,
turbidity from 1-15 NTU, DO from 6.3 – 10 mg/l and BOD from 1.4 - 4.5 mg/l. The rivers at Gangotri and Yamunotri showed
nil BOD. COD ranged from 2.9 - 34.2 mg/L, total alkalinity from 32-118 mg/l and total hardness from 42 - 194 mg/L. All
samples showed permissible limit except samples of Haridwar. All samples were positive for E. coli, which indicates fecal
pollution of water. The result showed that Brahma Kund in Haridwar, a famous tourist places, is most polluted.

INTRODUCTION industry or agriculture and can encompass a

wide range of potential contaminants and con-
Uttarakhand is bounded by Himalayas in the centrations (APHA 1998). In the most common
north, Shivalik hills in south, Ganga in the east usage, it refers to the municipal wastewater that
and Yamuna in the west. It has a moderate cli- contains a broad spectrum of contaminants
mate. Maximum temperature in summers is resulting from the mixing of wastewater from
around 36oC while the minimum temperature different sources. Sewage is created by residences,
may fall to 5oC in winters. Summers last from institutions, hospitals and commercial and
April to July while winter lasts from November industrial establishments (APHA 1998). Raw
to February. influent includes household waste liquid from
With the rapid development in agriculture, toilets, baths, showers, kitchens, sinks, and so
mining, urbanization, and industrialization forth that is disposed of via sewers. In many
activities, the river water contamination with areas, sewage also includes liquid waste from
hazardous waste and wastewater is becoming a industry and commerce. As rainfall runs over
common phenomenon. The water quality and the surface of roofs and the ground, it may pick
human health are closely related. The domestic up various contaminants including soil particles
waste from each building along with the effluent and other sediment, heavy metals, organic
of small scale industries is disposed off into the compounds animal waste and oil and grease
open drains and gutters which ultimately enter (FWPCA 1998). Consequently, the problem was
into the rivers. The quality of water is mainly taken up when effluents of these industries go
deteriorated by human activities. Nowadays, into the water system and change the physico-
many industries have developed in Uttarakhand chemical quality of water and make it unfit for
state viz. pharmaceutical, textiles, toy making, drinking and other uses. Since all natural
colouring etc. They use dispose the waste waterways contain bacteria and nutrients, almost
directly or indirectly into the river water, which any waste compounds introduced into such
affects the BOD, COD, turbidity and also causes waterways will initiate biochemical reactions.
the physico-chemical changes. Rivers are getting These biochemical reactions are measured as
contaminated due to waste disposing into them. BOD and COD in laboratory (Tchobanoglous
Waste comprises liquid waste discharged by et al. 2003). Both the BOD and COD tests are a
domestic residences, commercial properties, measure of the relative oxygen-depletion effect
170 ASHOK KUMAR, B.S. BISHT, V.D. JOSHI, A.K. SINGH AND AMITABH TALWAR

of a waste contaminant. Both have been widely of Uttarakhand from various regions. The places
adopted as a measure of pollution effect. The from where the samples were collected include
BOD test measures the oxygen demand of bio- Devprayag, Gangotri. Haridwar, Rudra-prayag,
degradable pollutants whereas the COD test Dakpathar and Yamunotri. The rivers for this
measures the oxygen demand of oxidizable pol- study were: Alaknanda (A), Bhagirathi (B),
lutants. Disposal of wastewaters from an indus- Ganga (G), Mandakini (M) and Yamuna (Y).
trial plant is a difficult and costly problem (Clair Water samples were collected once every month
2003). Most petroleum refineries, chemical and during April- June from two sites-middle of
petrochemical plants have onsite facilities to the river stretch and discharge point at nine
treat their wastewaters so that the pollutant con- monitoring stations viz. Har ki Pauri and Brahma
centrations in the treated wastewater comply Kund (Haridwar) river Ganga, Rudrapryag river
with the local or national regulations regarding Alaknanda and Mandakini, Devprayag river
disposal of wastewaters into community treat- Alaknanda and Bhagirathi, Dakpathar and
ment plants or into rivers, lakes or oceans
Yamunotri river Yamuna and Gangotri river
(Tchobanoglous et al. 2003). Physically, waste-
water is usually characterized by grey colour, Bhagirathi and samples coded as AR, AD, BD,
musty odour, 0.1% solid content and 99.9% BG, GH, GB, MR, YD and YY.
water content (Massoud and Ahmad 2005). The The water samples were collected in pre-
solids can be suspended 30% as well as dissolved rinsed clean one liter polythene bottle having
solids which are about 70%. Dissolved solids double stopper facility to its full capacity
can be precipitated by chemical and biological without entrapping air bubbles inside it. When
processes. From a physical point of view, the the water samples from all the monitoring
suspended solids can lead to the development stations were received, systematic analysis of the
of sludge deposits and anaerobic conditions water samples was undertaken. For analysis of
when discharged into the receiving environment samples, methods followed were of APHA 1998.
(Maiti 2004). Chemically, wastewater is com- Temperature, pH and turbidity were measured
posed of organic and inorganic compounds as by thermometer, digital pH meter (NIG 333) and
well as various gases. Organic components may UV-VIS Spectrophotometer. Total alkalinity,
consist of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and total hardness, DO, BOD and COD was
greases, surfactants, oils, pesticides, phenols etc. measured by titration method. Microbial
(Tchobanoglous et al. 2003; Maiti 2004). analysis was done. After growing in mix culture,
Drinking water treatment efforts can become they were inoculated in selective media viz.
weighed down when water resources are heavily EMB agar, Brain Heart infusion agar, Mac
polluted by wastewater microorganism species. Conkey agar, Mannitiol Salt agar, and Nutrient
Pathogenic viruses, bacteria, protozoa and hel- agar for isolation of different microorganisms
minthes and other wastewater microorganism in the rivers’ water samples. The various
species, may be present in raw municipal waste- morphological characteristics of recovered
water and will survive in the environment longer isolates viz., colony morphological (Colour,
periods (Mane et al. 2005). Sewage pathogens Shape, Arrangement and Gram staining) and
may be present in wastewater at much lower the biochemical tests carried out for identifi-
levels than the coliform group of bacteria, which
are much easy to identify and enumerate as num- cation of isolates (Holt et al. 1994).
ber of total Coliforms per 100 ml (Feng and
Weagant 2002). Various wastewater microorgan- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
ism species have an adverse impact on human
health. Some illnesses from wastewater-related The most common physical assessment of
sources are relatively common (WHO 1999). water quality is the measurement of tempera-
The objective of this study was to check the ture. Temperature impacts both the chemical and
physical and chemical parameters of the river biological characteristics of surface water. All
samples and to find the degree of pollution in rivers of study had normal pH range, the pH
them. values were 7.59 and 7.53 at Har ki Pauri and
Brahma Kund in river Ganga Haridwar, 7.35
METHODS and 7.66 at Rudrapryag in river Alaknanda and
Mandakini repectively, 7.6 and 7.82 at Dev-
Water samples were collected from five rivers prayag in river Alaknanda and Bhagirathi, 8.16
PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL STUDY OF WATER FROM RIVERS 171

MgCO3Abbreviations- AR=Alaknanda at Rudraprayag, AD= Alaknanda at Devprayag, BD=Bhagirsthi at Devprayag, BG=Bhagirathi at Gangotri, GH= Ganga at Harki Pauri,
and 7.03 at Dakpathar and Yamunotri in river
Yamuna and 7.02 at Gangotri in river Bhagirathi
(Table 1). The pH is measure of the intensity of

Yamunotri
Uttarkashi

Odourless
Yamuna
acidity or alkalinity and the concentration of

YY

7.03
Clear
Clear

2.9
hydrogen ion in water. pH has no direct adverse

Nil

1
32
42
32
10

10
9
effects on health, however, higher values of pH
hasten the scale formation in water heating ap-
paratus and also reduce germicidal potential

Bhagirathi
Uttarkashi

Odourless
of chloride. High pH induces the formation of

Gangotri
BG
trihalomethanes which are toxic (Kumar et al.

Clear
Clear

7.02

Nil
7.8

3.2
2010). pH affects the dissolved oxygen level in

1
38
10

58
34
24
the water, photosynthesis of aquatic plants,
metabolic rates of aquatic organisms and the

Dakpathar
Yammuna

Odourless
Dehradun
sensitivity of these organisms to pollution, para-

YD

8.16
Clear
Clear
sites and disease (FWPCA 1968). Most rivers

8.2
3.8

89
20

28
118
194
84
7
have a neutral to slightly basic pH of 6.5 to 8.5.

Tehri Garhwal
If stream water has a pH less than 5.5, it may be

GB=Ganga at Brahma Kund, MR= Mandakini at Rudraprayag, YD= Yamuna at Dakpathar, YY=Yamuna at Yamunotri
too acidic for fish to survive in, while stream

Devprayag

Odourless
Bagirathi
water with a pH greater than 8.6 may be too
BD

7.82
Clear
Clear

2.8
basic. A change in stream water pH can also

12.2
9
22

84
104
64
3

40
affect aquatic life indirectly by altering other
aspects of water chemistry e.g. low pH levels Tehri Garhwal
Devprayag
Alaknanda

Odourless
can increase the solubility of certain heavy met-
AD

als. This allows the metals to be more easily

Clear
Clear
absorbed by aquatic organisms (Schlesinger
7.6
8.2
1.4
8.2

5.8
2
72
92
42
50
1991).
Turbidity of all nine monitoring stations was
Rudra Pryag
Rudra Pryag
Mandakini

listed in table 1. The water of river Ganga at

Odourless
MR

Brahma Kund Haridwar was most turbid as tur-

7.66
Clear
Clear

18.4
8.6
2.4
9.5
bidity measured 15 NTU, whereas at other places
86
84
56
28
3
it was range from 1 – 7 NTU. Turbidity, measure
Rudra Pryag
Rudra Pryag

of water clarity, tells the degree to which light

Alaknanda

Odourless

entering a column of water is scattered by

AR

7.35
Clear
Clear
Table 1: Physico-chemical analysis of water (mg/l except pH)

suspended solids. Suspended solids include

2.8
18.4

11.4
8

56
82
71
11
3

things such as mud, algae, detritus, and fecal

Brahma Kund

material. Factors contributing to water turbidity

include soil erosion, elevated nutrient inputs that
Odourless
Haridwar

stimulate algal blooms, waste discharge, and

GB

Turbid
Ganga

7.53
Clear

6.3
4.5
34.2

an abundance of bottom feeders that stir up

94
192
98
94
28

15

sediments (Schlesinger 1991). As water becomes

more turbid, less sunlight is able to penetrate
Har ki Pauri

its surface, therefore the amount of photosyn-

Odourless
Haridwar
GH

thesis that can decrease. This results in a decrease

Ganga

7.59
Clear
Clear

11.2
8.7
2.2

in the amount of oxygen produced by aquatic

27

74
94
158
84
5

plants. In addition, suspended materials absorb

heat from sunlight and raise the water temperature.
This also limits the amount of dissolved oxygen
Parameters/Samples
Name of Water Body

water can hold (Merritts 1998).

Turbidity (NTU)
Total Alkalinity
Oxygen (mg/L)

The values of alkalinity listed in table 1. It

Total Hardness

Magnesium as
B.O.D (mg/L)
C.O.D (mg/L)
Temperature

was in normal and in permissible limit, ranges

Calcium as
Dissolved

from 32-118 mg/l. Alkalinity is measured to

Location

Weather

CaCO3
Colour
Odour

determine the ability of a stream to resist

City

pH

changes in pH. That is to say alkalinity allows

172 ASHOK KUMAR, B.S. BISHT, V.D. JOSHI, A.K. SINGH AND AMITABH TALWAR

scientists to determine a stream’s buffering measure of water quality. It is expressed in

capacity (FWPCA 1968). Alkalinity values of milligrams per liter (mg/l), which indicates the
20-200 ppm are common in freshwater ecosys- mass of oxygen consumed per liter of solution
tems. Alkalinity levels below 10 ppm indicate (Clair 2003).
poorly buffered streams. These streams are Bacteriological analysis showed the four
the least capable of resisting changes in pH; mic-robes in river water samples. All samples
therefore they are most susceptible to problems had E. coli, as indicator of fecal pollution (Table
which occur as a result of acidic pollutants 2). Staphylococcus aureus was found in six
(Merritts 1998). Alkalinity results from the samples (GH, GB, AR, AD, BD and YY). Bacillus
dissolution of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from cereus was present in four samples (GB, AR,
limestone bedrock which is eroded during the AD and YD) and Pseudomonas spp in three
natural processes of weathering. The carbon samples viz. GH, GB and MR (Table 2).
dioxide (CO 2 ) released from the calcium Escherichia coli are the most widely adopted
carbonate into the stream water undergoes indicator of fecal pollution and they can also
several equilibrium reactions (Schlesinger be isolated and identified simply, with their
1991). numbers usually being given in the form of
Total hardness of river water ranged 42-194 fecal Coliforms (FC)/100 ml of wastewater (De
mg/l (Table 1), which showed the desirable limit Boer 2000). Outbreaks of these diseases can
as per Indian standard (ICMR 1996). Calcium occur as a result of, drinking water from wells
carbonate and magnesium carbonate were in polluted by a combination of different wastewater
range from 32-98 and 10-94 mg/l respectively. microorganism species, eating contaminated
Total hardness of water is due to the presence of fish, or indulging in recreational activities in
bicarbonate, sulphates, chloride, and nitrates polluted water bodies containing water borne
of Ca and Mg (Kumar et al. 2010). Maximum pathogen. E. coli cause urinary tract infection
permissible limit for total hardness is 600 mg/l and diarrhea and Bacillus can cause the anthrax.
as per Indian standards. Total hardness recorded Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium
for waste water is ranged between 50-200 mg/ which can cause disease in animals and humans
L. Hardness has got no adverse effect on human (Balcht 1994). Pseudomonas can, in rare
health. Water with hardness above 200 mg/l may circumstances, cause community-acquired
cause scale deposition in the water distribution pneumonias as well as ventilator-associated
system and more soap consumption. pneumonias, being one of the most common
BOD or biochemical oxygen demand repre- agents isolated in several studies (Fine et al.
sents the amount of oxygen that microbes need 1996). Staphylococcus aureus is the most
to stabilize biologically oxidizable matter. BOD common cause of staph infections. It is a spherical
range varies from 1.4 - 4.5 mg/l (Table 1) in river bacterium, frequently found in the nose and
samples. Desirable limit for BOD is 4.0 mg/land skin of a person. S. aureus can cause a range of
permissible limit is 6.0 mg/l according to illnesses from minor skin infections, such as
Indian standards. BOD demand below 3 mg/lor pimples, impetigo, boils, cellulitis folliculitis,
less is required for the best use. furuncles, carbuncles, scalded skin syndrome
The chemical oxygen demand (COD) ranged and abscesses, to life-threatening diseases
from 2.9 – 34.2 mg/l (Table 1). The test is commonly such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis,
used to indirectly measure the amount of organic endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, and septicemia.
compounds in water. Most applications of COD Its incidence is from skin, soft tissue, respiratory,
determine the amount of organic pollutants bone, joint, endovascular to wound infections
found in surface water, making COD a useful (Fine et al. 1996).

Table 2: Microbiological analysis of water samples

Microorganisms GH GB AR MR AD BD YD BG YY
Staphylococcus sp. - + - - - - + + -
Bacillus cereus. - + + - - + -
E. coli + + + + + + + + +
Pseudomonas sp. + - - + - + - - -
Streptococcus aureus + + + - + + - - +
PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL STUDY OF WATER FROM RIVERS 173

CONCLUSION outcomes of patients with community-acquired

pneumonia. A meta-analysis. JAMA, 275(2): 134-141.
FWPCA (Federal Water Pollution Control Administration)
The present investigations conclude that the 1968. Water Quality Criteria: Report of the National
quality of water samples subjected to study was Technical Advisory Committee to the Secretary of the
acceptable from physico-chemical parameters, Interior. U. S. coastal Cities: FWPCA pp. 32-34.
Holt JG, Krieg NR, Senath PHA, Staley JT, Williams ST
while E. coli, an indicator of fecal pollution was 1994. Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology.
found in all samples. The river Ganga at Brahma 9thEdition. Baltimore Md.: Willaims and Wilkins.
Kund in Haridwar was most polluted despite ICMR 1996. Guideline for Drinking Water Manual. New
being a quite popular tourist place in Haridwar. Delhi: Indian Council of Medical Research.
Kumar Ashok, Bisht BS, Talwar Amitabh, Chandel Deepika
2010. Physico-Chemical and Microbial Analysis of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Ground Water from Different Regions of Doon Valley.
Int Jou Appl Env Sci, 5(3): 433-440.
Authors are grateful to Mrs. K.P. Rathoure Maiti SK 2004. Handbook of Methods in Environmental
Studies, Water and Waste Water Analysis, Vol. 1, Jaipur:
for her valuable suggestions and technical help. ABD Publishers.
Mane VR, Chandorkar AA, Kumar R 2005. Prevalence of
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