Heavy metal abundances in the Kandy lake—An environmental case study from Sri Lanka

The Kandy lake, situated in the heart of Sri Lanka's second largest city with a population of nearly 120,000, has been monitored to probe the extent of heavy metal pollution. Although the lake is a source of drinking water to the city, a large number of effluent canals drain into the lake carrying a continuous flow of industrial and domestic waste matter. A total of 66 surface water samples were analyzed for their Fe²⁺, total Fe, total V, SO ₄ ²⁻ , Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺ contents. Pb and Cd were found in high concentrations averaging 150 μg/l and 77 μg/l, respectively, and exhibit a marked positive correlation with each other (r=+0.94). Vehicular emissions and industrial waste matter contribute largely to the Pb and Cd contents of the lake, the anthropogenic influence outweighing the contributions made by geological materials. All field observations and laboratory experiments indicate a tendency of the Kandy Lake towards eutrophicity.