A case study of some lakes located at and around Thane City of Maharashtra, India, with special reference to physico-chemical properties and heavy metal content of lake water
The increasing trend in concentration of metals in the environment has created considerable attention amongst ecologists globally during the last decades. However, no such studies have been carried out in India and there are no past metal load data available. Therefore, we initiated a study to estimate the levels of water pollution of the Upavan, Masunda, Makhmali and Rewale Lakes situated at Thane, the city on the North Eastern side of Mumbai. The study was performed to understand the physico-chemical parameters like pH, conductivity, alkalinity, salinity, hardness, chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of lake water. The study was also extended to understand the level of heavy metals like Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, Hg, As and Fe. These heavy metals have a marked effect on the aquatic flora and fauna which through bio magnification enter the food chain thereby affecting the human beings.