Efficiency of Biomonitoring through Macrophytes Present in the Aquatic Bodies of Dehradun and Haridwar

Author(s): *Gunjan Sharma and Archana Sharma

Abstract: During last few decades, human activity posed a dreadful threat to the environment by adding totally new chemical substances that previously did not even exist viz; xenobiotics, radionuclides, persistent heavy metals etc. These confronting activities jeopardize the natural functioning of the environment and consequently add up the greatest pollutant burden on the natural ecosystems. Moreover, the situation will become more dramatic in the future but subsequently, a solution in this context is Biomonitoring of environmental pollutants through bioindicators of pollution to control the problem at its origin. In the present study three aquatic bodies of Dehradun and haridwar were taken, water analysis and heavy metal load of aquatic macrophytes from sites was done. Six metals (Pb, Fe, Cu, Cr, Mg& Ni) were investigated in the water samples and root and shoot parts of aquatic macrophytes. Among all, Ni, Cu and Fe from residential sites found to be within permissible limits as prescribed by WHO, whereas, Cr ranges from 0.15 – 0.22mg/l and Pb – 0.41 – 0.54mg/l which was far higher than the permissible limits. The variation was observed in average accumulation pattern of heavy metals by different plant part of the selected macrophytes. Pb ranges from 0.63-0.59 mg/l in roots of Eichhornia, roots of Pistia accumulates 0.57-0.49 mg/l of Pb from industrial and residential regions of Hardwar. Shoots of Eichhornia crassipes accumulates Cr in the ranges 0.48mg/l, 0.46mg/l, 0.59mg/l, 0.47mg/l from Dandaar, Dehradun. Shoots of Pistia stratiotes accumulates Pb in the range 0.29mg/l, 0.23mg/l,0.30mg/l, 0.33mg/l. Pb, Fe, Cu and Cr in Duckweed (Spirodella and Lemna) of Dandaar, Dehradun and Hardwar ranges from 0.24-0.35mg/l, 5.81-6.45mg/l, 0.10-0.13mg/l, 0.14-0.44mg/l of Spirodellaand 0.38-0.53mg/l, 5.10-5.46mg/l, 0.05-0.09mg/l, 0.11-0.14mg/l of Lemna respectively.

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