Pollution Status of River Mula (Pune City) Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Present work deals with the seasonal variations in physico-chemical parameters of river Mula at Pune city. Water samples were collected monthly from selected sampling stations (Station I- Wakad; IIAundh and III-Dapodi) in winter, summer and monsoon seasons during October 2007 to September 2008. The analysis was carried out for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), free carbon dioxide (free CO₂), total alkalinity, total hardness, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), chloride, nitrate and phosphate. It was observed that, temperature, chloride, BOD, COD, total alkalinity, total hardness, nitrate and phosphate content was high during summer than winter and less during monsoon seasons. Whereas, the DO content decreased in the summer and increased in the winter followed by monsoon seasons. The quality of water at station II and station III were high in term of nutrient loads, due to influent domestic wastewater. These results suggest that the water quality of river Mula is adversely affected and impaired by the discharge of domestic waste.