The study deals with the detection of trace elements – Cu, Co, Cd, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni and Pb along with pH and ORP in the groundwater of Guwahati and its adjacent areas. Toxicity of a metal depends on its concentration, which adversely affects any biological activity. Almost all the metals are toxic at higher concentrations, few in low concentrations and few others even in trace like As, Pb, Hg, Cd etc. The presence of such metals in groundwater is a subject of concern. Groundwater that contains higher amount of metals affects public health to a great extent when it is used for drinking and domestic purposes.

The study was able to examine -

• The regional variation by means of isocon diagrams
• The stable field of iron ion on pH-ORP diagram
• The status of trace elements with fluctuation in ground water table
• Similar concentration zones with help of vertical distribution diagrams
• The average status of groundwater quality with the standards fixed by different agencies like WHO, BIS and ICMR for trace elements.

The study concludes that the groundwater of Guwahati area contains very high concentrations of heavy metals like Cadmium, Zinc, Iron and Manganese. The concentration of Cu, Co and Ni are well within the maximum permissible limits of WHO while Pb is absent in all the samples.

The high concentration of heavy metals may be toxic to humans, animals, plants and aquatic life due to its alarming concentration. Further, it is concluded that the ground water cannot sustain the disposal of industrial, municipal and other wastes any longer and they must be managed alternatively, so as to bring down the concentrations of toxic pollutants to safe limits.

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