Journal of Environmental Biology

Evaluation of physical and chemical parameters of river Kaveri,

Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

P. Raja*, A. Muhindhar Amarnath, R. Elangovan and M. Palanivel

P.G. and Research Department of Zoology, Periyar E.V.R. College, Tiruchirappalli - 620 023, India

(Received: May 10, 2007; Revised received: August 25, 2007; Re-revised received: October 04, 2007; Accepted: November 04, 2007)

Abstract:  The physical, chemical and total heterotrophic bacteriological parameters (THBP) bacterial  population were measured at three sampling stations namely Upper Anicut (S1), Chinthamani road bridge (S2) and Grand Anicut (S3) for a period of three month January to March 2007 in the river Kaveri, Tiruchirappalli. The pH ranged from 6.7 to 7.8, the level of solids and total hardness was high in station S2 when compared to other stations. Station 2 registered a minimum level of DO (3.6 mg l^-1), and the BOD and COD varied from 3.47 to 4.27, 20.67 to 41.47 mg l^-1 respectively. THBP colony count was found to be high in S2 (8.16 x 10² CFU ml ^-1) and a lowest level in S1 (2.64. x 10²) and S3 (1.80 x 10²). It was observed in the present study that in reservoir (anicut) stations factors like pH, TDS, TSS, Hardness and THBP were at lower level than for the water at Chinthamani road bridge (S2), probably due to the mixing of municipal sewage at this point.

Key words: Pollution, Physical chemical parameters, River Kaveri, Total heterotrophic bacterial population (THBP)

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