1Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, N.V. Patel College of Pure & Applied Sciences, Vallabh Vidyanagar
2P.G. Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Institute of Science & Technology for Advanced Studies & Research (ISTAR), Vallabh Vidyanagar – 388 120, Gujarat, India
Online published on 26 November, 2013.
Sediment is the loose sand, clay, silt and other soil particles that settle at the bottom of a body of water. A study of spatial and temporal fluctuation in pH, Organic carbon, Organic matter and other nutrient parameters such as phosphate, Sulphate, Nitrate, Sodium and Potasium were carried out at five sampling sites of Sabarmati river and Kharicut canal for a period of one year i.e. from June-2009 to May-2010. The concentration of trace metals such as chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc were also determined. Monsoon and post monsoon season showed higher values of nutrient related parameters at Sabarmati River whereas the concentrations of heavy metals were found to be higher in the pre-monsoon season than in the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in water samples. There occurs a distinct spatial variation among five sampling sites. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped five sampling sites into two clusters of similar sediment quality characteristics.
River pollution, Sediment, Nutrients, heavy metals, Cluster analysis, Sabarmati
