Status of Drinking-water in Nadia district, West Bengal, India – a Two-year Surveillance Report for Chemical Contaminants

Abstract

A study was undertaken to determine the status of drinking water in Nadia district, West Bengal, India with regards to chemical contaminants which are capable of causing serious health hazard, if not within permissible limit. Total 56 water samples were collected from different households in Nadia for two years 2017-2018 and were analysed for chemical contaminants. In 2017, the water samples were analyzed for eleven parameters – Total Alkalinity (TA), pH, arsenic (As), iron (Fe), fluoride ion (F−), chloride ion (Cl−), residual chlorine (Res. Cl2), phosphate (PO43−), nitrate (NO3−), nitrite (NO2−) and ammonium (NH4+). In 2018, the water samples were analyzed for thirteen parameters - Total Hardness (TH) and sulphite/residual sulphite (SO32−/Res. SO32−) were determined in addition to the previously mentioned eleven parameters. An analysis was carried out to determine the trends of the chemical contaminants - arsenic, fluoride and nitrate in drinking water for the surveillance report.