Phosphate pollution in the groundwater of lower Vamsadhara river basin, India |
| |
Authors: | N S Rao P Rajendra Prasad |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Geophysics, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam – 530 003, India, IN |
| |
Abstract: | The lower Vamsadhara river basin, spreading over an area of 817 sq.km in northern Andhra Pradesh, represents a typical rural
setting. The occurrence of phosphorus-bearing minerals reported in literature, and the increasing application of phosphatic
fertilizers in the area have prompted these studies. Water samples from 113 wells were analysed for Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4, HCO3, F, NO3 and PO4. The results indicate the presence of phosphate in the groundwater ranged from 0.72 to 7.07 mg/l, which is beyond the limits
recommended for domestic and water treatment purposes. Samples of soils and weathered rocks were analyzed for their water-soluble
phosphate and other chemical parameters. The water-soluble phosphate in the widely used fertilizers of the area was determined.
The spatial variation of phosphate in the aquifer and the soil leachate characteristics supplemented by the chemical equilibrium
calculations clearly indicate the dominance of geological sources over the fertilizer sources in contributing PO4 to the groundwaters.
Received: 4 March 1996 / Accepted: 29 July 1996 |
| |
Keywords: | Phosphate Leachate Vamsadhara river basin Apatite |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|