Assessment of Physicochemical Parameters of Surface Water of Karnaphuli River in Bangladesh Towards Identification of Potential Sources

Abstract

In this study, water samples collected from Karnaphuli River, Chittagong, Bangladesh, were
analyzed to assess physicochemical parameters to identify the possible potential sources of
pollutants. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, alkalinity, acidity, conductivity, TDS,
turbidity, total hardness, BOD, COD, ammoniacal-nitrogen, and sodium and chloride were varied
from 3.05 to 9.34, 36.50 to 182.50 mg/L as CaCO3, 0.00 to 78.00 mg/L as CaCO3, 9.75 to 13.11
mS/cm, 6.36 to 10.40 g/L, 6.70 to 150.30 NTU, 1.37×103 to 1.95×103 mg/L as CaCO3, 5.50 to
45.50 mg/L as O2, 10.00 to 185.00 mg/L as O2, 0.00 to 12.60 mg/L as NH3-N, 2.27×103 to
2.92×103 mg/L and 3.12×103 to 4.60×103 mg/L in the water samples, respectively. Acidity, TDS,
turbidity, total hardness, BOD, COD, and sodium were all very high near the TSP fertilizer
factory’s point source (site-2), while pH, alkalinity, NH3-N, and chloride were very high at
KAFCO (site-11). At site-11, BOD and COD levels were also elevated. The results indicate that
untreated fertilizer effluents contaminated river water significantly. Pearson correlation matrix for
physicochemical parameters and sodium and chloride was also calculated to confirm the potential
sources of pollutants in the river water. TSP plant effluent has been shown to cause acidity, TDS,
turbidity, BOD, COD and sodium in river water, whereas ammonia-urea plants are found to cause
high pH, alkalinity, NH3-N, as well as BODand COD in the Karnaphuli River.