International Journal of Engineering Science Invention Research & Development; Vol.

I Issue IX March 2015

www.ijesird.com e-ISSN: 2349-6185

Water Quality Parameters –A Review

Dr.Seema Tiwari
Sagar Iinstitute of Research and Technology, Bhopal, India.
seemahltiwari@gmail.com

ABSTRACT Water resources are equally important for natural microorganisms to human beings, is increased day-
ecosystem and human development. It is essential for agriculture,
industry and human existence. All life on earth depends on by-day but it is a serious problem to provide a safe
water. Fresh water is a critical, finite, vulnerable, renewable drinking water because all water resources have
natural resource on the earth and plays as important role in our reached to a point of crisis due to unplanned
living environment without it life is impossible. More than 70%
of the Earth's surface is covered with this simple molecule. urbanization and industrialization [3].
Scientists estimate that the hydrosphere contains about 1.36 According to WHO estimate about 80% of
billion cubic kilometers of these substances of physicochemical water pollution in India is due to domestic waste.
parameters such as pH, colour, biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids The improper management of water systems may
(TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), and turbidity. The quality of cause serious problems in availability of drinking
water can be assessed by studying its physical and chemical water [4]. Water resource is most often polluted by
characteristics. The present review paper describes about the
importance of different parameters of water quality. industrial effluents. When waste from different
industry are discharged with out proper treatment in
Key words –BOD, COD, PH, Turbidity. TDS, TSS. to the water. The physical, chemical and biological
characteristics of water are altered in such a way
I INTRODUCTION that they are not useful for the purpose for which
Water is most indispensable requirement for they are intended [5].Consideration of water quality
all living organisms and any alterations in water is important in wetland habitat evaluation because a
may lead to the issue of survival for these host of interacting physical and chemical factors
organisms. Good quality of water is essential for can influence the levels of the primary productivity
living organisms. The quality of water can be and thus influence trophic structure and total
assessed by studying its physical and chemical biomass throughout the aquatic food web [6]. In
characteristics. Because of vast population and this paper, some parameters assessing the quality of
negligence of human being the quality of water is water has been presented with past work carried out
being deteriorated day by day [1].An enormous by scientist and academicians related with quality
industrial growth has taken place throughout the of water.
world in the past few decades, to fulfill the
II WATER QUALITY PARAMETER
increased demand of human civilization, which has
created an overexploitation of available resources It is very essential and important to test the
and caused pollution of water, land, and air. Rapid water before it is used for drinking, domestic,
industrialization, urbanization and anthropogenic agricultural or industrial purpose. Water must be
activities consequently cause water pollution which tested with different physico-chemical parameters.
has brought a variable water crisis. Environmental Selection of parameters for testing of water is solely
pollutants arising from anthropogenic source have depends upon for what purpose we going to use that
the potential to affect the aquatic ecosystem in a water and what extent we need its quality and
synergistic manner. The determination of such purity. Water does content different types of
environmental pollutants can be assessed by floating, dissolved, suspended and microbiological
physicochemical almost 70% of the water in indie as well as bacteriological impurities. Some physical
has become polluted due to the discharge of test should be performed for testing of its physical
domestic sewage and industrial effluents in to appearance such as temperature, color, odour, pH,
natural water resources such as river, streams, lakes turbidity, TDS etc, while chemical tests should be
[2]. The requirement of water in all lives, from perform for its BOD, COD, dissolved oxygen,
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International Journal of Engineering Science Invention Research & Development; Vol. I Issue IX March 2015
www.ijesird.com e-ISSN: 2349-6185

alkalinity, hardness and other characters. For may go upstream and this can be indicated by
obtaining more and more quality and purity water, higher conductivity.
it should be tested for its trace metal, heavy metal
contents and organic i.e. pesticide residue. It is Turbidity -Turbidity may be due to organic and/or
obvious that drinking water should pass these entire inorganic constituents. Organic particulates may
tests and it should content required amount of harbour microorganisms. Thus, turbid conditions
mineral level. Only in the developed countries all may increase the possibility for waterborne disease.
these criteria’s are strictly monitored due to very Nonetheless, inorganic constituents have no notable
low concentration of heavy metal and organic health effects. The series of turbidity-induced
pesticide impurities present in water it need highly changes that can occur in a water body may change
sophisticated analytical instruments and well the composition of an aquatic community. First,
trained manpower. Following different physic turbidity due to a large volume of suspended
chemical parameters are required to for monitoring sediment will reduce light penetration, thereby
quality of water. suppressing photosynthetic activity of
phytoplankton, algae, and macrophytes, especially
Temperature - Temperature can exert great control those farther from the surface. If turbidity is largely
over aquatic communities. If the overall water body due to algae, light will not penetrate very far into
temperature of a system is altered, an aquatic the water, and primary production will be limited to
community shift can be expected. In water above the uppermost layers of water. Cyanobacteria (blue-
30degree C, a suppression of all benthic organisms green algae) are favoured in this situation because
can be expected. Also, different plankton groups they possess flotation mechanisms. Overall, excess
will flourish under different temperatures. For turbidity leads to fewer photosynthetic organisms
example, diatoms dominate at 20 - 25 degrees C, available to serve as food sources for many
green algae dominate at 30 – 35 degrees C, and invertebrates. As a result, overall invertebrate
cyano-bacteria dominate above 35 degrees C. numbers may also decline, which may then lead to a
fish population decline. If turbidity is largely due to
pH- pH is an indicator of the existence of organic particles, dissolved oxygen depletion may
biological life as most of them thrive in a quite occur in the water body. The excess nutrients
narrow and critical pH range. available will encourage microbial breakdown, a
process that requires dissolved oxygen. In addition,
DO- DO is essential for aquatic life. A low DO
excess nutrients may result in algal growth.
(less than 2mg/l) would indicate poor water quality
Although photosynthetic by day, algae respire at
and thus would have difficulty in sustaining many
night, using valuable dissolved oxygen. Fish kills
sensitive aquatic life.
often result from extensive oxygen depletion.
Colour- Color is vital as most water users, be it
Total Suspended solids- Total Suspended solids
domestic or industrial, usually prefer colorless
are an indication of the amount of erosion that took
water. Determination of colour can help in
place nearby or upstream. This parameter would be
estimated costs related to discoloration of the water.
the most significant measurement as it would depict
Conductivity- Conductivity indicates the presence the effective and compliance of control measures
of ions within the water, usually due to in majority, e.g. riparian reserve along the waterways. The
saline water and in part, leaching. It can also series of sediment-induced changes that can occur
indicate industrial discharges. The removal of in a water body may change the composition of an
vegetation and conversion into monoculture may aquatic community. The settling of suspended
cause run-off to flow out immediate thus decrease solids from turbid waters threatens benthic aquatic
recharge during drier period. Hence, saline intrusion communities. Deposited particles may obscure
sources of food, habitat, hiding places, and nesting

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sites. Most aquatic insects will simply drift with the indication of poor water quality. For this tree
current out of the affected area. Benthic plantation project, any discharge of waste into the
invertebrates that prefer a low-silt substrate, such as waterways would affect the water quality and thus
mayflies, stoneflies, and caddis flies, may be users downstream.
replaced by silt-loving communities of
oligochaetae, pulmonate snails, and chironomid Nitrate Nitrogen -The growth of macrophytes and
larvae. Increased sediment may impact plant phytoplankton is stimulated principally by nutrients
communities. Primary production will decline such as nitrates. Many bodies of freshwater are
because of a reduction in light penetration. currently experiencing influxes of nitrogen and
Sediment may damage plants by abrasion, scouring, phosphorus from outside sources. The increasing
and burial. Finally, sediment deposition may concentration of available phosphorus allows plants
encourage species shifts because of a change of to assimilate more nitrogen before the phosphorus
substrate. Sediment deposition may also affect the is depleted. Thus, if sufficient phosphorus is
physical characteristics of the stream bed. Sediment available, high concentrations of nitrates will lead
accumulation causes stream bed elevation and a to phytoplankton (algae) and macrophyte (aquatic
decrease in channel capacity. Flooding is more plant) production. This is mostly due to the usage of
likely after sediment accumulation because the fertilisers.
stream can not accommodate the same volume of
water. Also, a substrate that is closer to the surface COD- COD is an indicator of organics in the water,
receives more light and supports increased numbers usually used in conjunction with BOD. High
of photosynthetic organisms, such as rooted algae. organic inputs trigger deoxygenation. If excess
As a result, recreational use may be threatened organics are introduced to the system, there is
because moving parts of boats may become tangled potential for complete depletion of dissolved
in aquatic plants. Sediment, which is generally oxygen. Without oxygen, the entire aquatic
negatively charged, attracts positively charged community is threatened. The only organisms
molecules. Some of these molecules (phosphorus, present will be air- breathing insects and anaerobic
heavy metals, and pesticides) are pollutants. These bacteria. If all oxygen is depleted, aerobic
positively charged pollutants are in equilibrium decomposition ceases and further organic
with the water column and are often released slowly breakdown is accomplished anaerobically.
into the water resource Anaerobic microbes obtain energy from oxygen
bound to other molecules such as sulphate
TDS- The total dissolved solids (TDS) in water compounds. Thus, anoxic conditions result in the
consist of inorganic salts and dissolved materials. In mobilization of many otherwise insoluble
natural waters, salts are chemical compounds compounds.
comprised of anions such as carbonates, chlorides, In areas of high organics there is frequently
sulphates, and nitrates (primarily in ground water), evidence of rapid sewage fungus colonization.
and cations such as potassium (K), magnesium Sewage fungus appears as slimy or fluffy cotton
(Mg), calcium (Ca), and sodium (Na). In ambient wool-like growths of micro-organisms which may
conditions, these compounds are present in include filamentous bacteria, fungi, and protozoa
proportions that create a balanced solution. If there such as Sphaerotilus natans, Leptomitus lacteus,
are additional inputs of dissolved solids to the and Carchesium polypinuym, respectively. The
system, the balance is altered and detrimental various effects of the sewage fungus masses include
effects may be seen. Inputs include both natural and silt and detritus entrapment, the smothering of
anthropogenic source. aquatic macrophytes, and a decrease in water flow
velocities. An accumulation of sediment allows a
BOD- BOD is a measure of organic pollution to shift in the aquatic system structure as colonization
both waste and surface water. High BOD is an by silt-loving organisms occur. In addition, masses

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of sewage fungus may break off and float away, minimize the effect of various pollutants on the
causing localized areas of dissolved oxygen demand environment. On the basis of results reported herein
elsewhere in the water body. it can be concluded that the effluent discharged
Ammonia Nitrogen- Ammonia levels in excess of from both the paper industries is highly polluted
the recommended limits may harm aquatic life. and has exceeding values as prescribed by the
Although the ammonia molecule is a nutrient standards of regulatory agency of India. It is further
required for life, excess ammonia may accumulate stated that the pollutants generated during different
in the organism and cause alteration of metabolism stages from paper industries can be minimized
or increases in body pH. It is an indicator of either by replacing some existing pulping and
pollution from the excessive usage of ammonia rich bleaching techniques like bio-pulping, bio-
fertilizers. bleaching, TCF (Total Chlorine Free bleaching),
ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free bleaching) and
Potassium- Potassium is macro nutrient element for ozone bleaching or by treatment of the effluent by
plant growth. It can occur naturally in minerals and physico-chemical or biological methods. The data
from soils. High levels in surface water, especially bank generated herein by this monitoring study of
in areas where there are agricultural activities as pulp and paper mill effluent are collected from
indicative of introduction of K due to application of Agro-based and one from wood based could
fertilizers. successfully be used in prediction of their toxicity
and effective management.
Microbiological- Microbiological test is to detect Agarwal et al., [8] studied to provide an
the level of pollutions caused by living thing informative data and helps to understand water
especially human who live or work in the area characteristics and indicate that the water of Bihar
especially upstream of the site. These tests are River can serve as a good habitat. The pH value
based on coliform bacteria as the indicator indicates the alkaline water of in the month of May
organism. The presence of these indicative might be due to high temperature that indicates the
organisms is evidence that the water has been solubility of CO2. The analysis of the quality
polluted with faeces of humans or other warm- parameters of water from Baba Ghat of Bihar River
blooded animals. shows that pH, alkalinity, chloride ion, total
hardness, BOD and COD etc. are well within the
III SOME PHYSICO CHEMICAL ANALYSIS permissible limit. Hence proper strategies should be
STUDY OF WATER SAMPLE IN INDIA designed to counter.
Vyas et al. [9] studied that the most of the
Physico chemical parameter study is very fresh water bodies all over the world are getting
important to get exact idea about the quality of polluted due to domestic waste, sewage, and
water and we can compare results of different industrial waste, agricultural and religious activities
physico chemical parameter values with standard like idol immersion.
values .Some past work carried out by researchers Central Pollution Control Board [10] has
are briefly summarized here. formulated a comprehensive set of guidelines on the
According to Tripathi et al. [7] pulp and practice of idol immersion in lakes, rivers and seas
paper industry effluents are highly polluted (CPCB, Guidelines for Idol Immersion, 2006).
industries in India. Small and large scale pulp and These guidelines delineate and specify the role of
paper mills which have different production the state pollution control boards in conducting
capacity as well as different raw materials, adopt water quality assessments of water bodies and
different processes that lead to radical differences in classifying them on the basis of certain physio-
the physico-chemical properties of effluents. Such chemical parameters. These guidelines if followed
polluted effluents must be treated properly before and acted upon can help in bringing tremendous
being discharged into the drainage channel, to

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change in the water quality of river post idol substances as also reported by (Rajkumar et al.,
immersion. 2003) and (Gupta et al., 2011)[13,14].
According to Tamot et al.,[11] DO is the IV CONCLUSION
most important parameter to study the quality of
water and is required for the metabolism of all All above impacts have resulted in the
aquatic organisms was found to be Nil at seven deterioration of water quality of river and lakes. It
sites. gives the clue to develop appropriate management
Ganai and Parveen [12] concluded that the strategies by municipal authorities. The temperature
most important factors affecting the phytoplankton variation is mainly related with the temperature of
distribution are water temperature, CO2, chloride, atmospheric and weather condition [15]. The
transparency, TDS, alkalinity and dissolved oxygen. reduction in the pH of River Betwa could have been
However, conductivity and hardness has lesser due to the discharged industrial effluents. This
influence on the distribution of phytoplankton result agrees with the reports by previous scientist
groups. [16, 17, and 18]. The increase in hardness can be
Mishra et al., [3] illustrated that Rani Lake attributed to the decrease in water volume in the
water exhibits low DO, High BOD, COD, turbidity, rate of evaporation at high temperature, high
hardness, TDS, chloride, alkalinity, phosphate and loading organic substances, detergent, chlorides and
nitrate during 2008 and 2009.The values of these other pollutants [19, 20]. Minimum dissolved
parameters were found to be beyond the permissible oxygen due to effluents discharge, as suggested by
limit (IS: 10500). Higher pH value indicates slightly Agrawal and Saxena [21] that the industries were
alkaline nature of the water. The findings clearly releasing some organic substances that were of high
indicate that this lake is polluted and eutrophic in oxygen demanding wastes. Biological oxygen
nature because of discharge of sewage and other demand is an important parameter which is widely
anthropogenic activity. used to determine the pollution load of waste water.
Biological Oxygen Demand represents the The aim of BOD test is to determine the amount of
quantity of oxygen which is consumed in the course bio-chemically oxidisable carbonaceous matter
of aerobic processes of decomposition of organic [22]. Values of BOD were due to higher rate of
materials, caused by microorganisms. The BOD decomposition of organic matter at higher
therefore provides information on the biologically- temperature, turbidity and less water current) [23].
convertible proportion of the organic content of a Chemical oxygen demand is a test which is used to
sample of water. This leads to the consideration of measure pollution of domestic and industrial waste.
these materials in terms of their susceptibility to This gives valuable information about the pollution
oxidation by the use of oxygen. The range of 1.4- potential of industrial effluents and domestic
35, 4-55 and 3.3-38 mg/L were obtained from the sewage [22, 24]. Highest value of COD indicates
pre, during and post immersion activities. The that most of the pollution in study zone in Betwa
maximum value of BOD was observed during the River is caused by industrial effluents discharged
immersion period at Site-7 (Majnu Ka Tila). The by industrial units. Similar results were also
COD which is commonly used to indirectly reported by Pande and Sharma, Murhekar [25,
measure the amount of organic compounds in water 26].Hence it is essential to examine the quality of
was also analyzed. Most applications of COD water by different parameters as stated above before
determine the amount of organic pollutants found in using the water.
surface water (e.g. lakes and rivers) or wastewater
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