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Assessment of Water Quality and Microbial Load of Dhaleshwari River Tangail, Bangladesh

Md. Khalid Hassan Real
Department of Environmental Science and Resource Management, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh

Natasha Khanam
Department of Environmental Science and Resource Management, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh

Md. Younus Mia*
Department of Environmental Science and Resource Management, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh

Marufa Nasreen
Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The present study was undertaken to investigate some water quality parameters (pH, BOD, DO and water temperature), anion concentration ( PO3−4 , SO2−4 and NO−3 ) and the availability of some selected microorganisms consisted of total coliform, fecal coliform (Escherichia coli) and Vibrio cholerae in the Dhaleshwari river during the period from April to June 2015. The water samples were collected from three different stations of the river namely Belta (St-1), Kendua (St-2) and Charabari (St-3) under the Porabari union at Tangail Sadar Upazilla. Water temperature varied from 29.5⁰C in June to 31.7⁰C in May with a highest mean 31.17 ± 0.47 in May. The pH of water was slightly alkaline in nature and ranged between 7.25 in June and 8.45 in April. Mean concentrations of BOD 0.87 ± 0.19, 1.12 ± 0.6 and 0.97 ± 0.67 were recorded in April, May and June respectively. Highest PO2−4 value 4.4 mg/l was found in May and lowest value of PO2−4 1.74 mg/l was found in June. Mean sulfate values at different months of Dhaleshwaririver were 6.61 ± 1.78 mg/l, 7.61 ± 2.16 mg/l and 3.68 ± 0.23 mg/l respectively. Nitrate concentration in water samples varied from 0.51 mg/l in June to 3.66 mg/l in April. Total coliforms bacteria were found high in all water samples and values ranged from 11.05 × 10⁸ - 19 × 10²³ cfu/ml. The highest load of total coliforms bacteria was recorded at St-2 in May and the lowest was at St-1 in April. The highest concentration of Escherichia coli counted in water sample was 6 × 10¹³ cfu/ml at St-2 during June, while the lowest concentration was 5 × 10⁵ cfu/ml at St-1 during May. The highest concentration of Vibrio cholerae was 9.66 × 10¹⁴ cfu/ml at St-1 during June, while lowest concentration was 4.2 × 10⁸ cfu/ml at St-3 during April. The high number of total coliform, Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae indicated significant level of microbial pollution in the Dhaleshwari river. The presence of pathogenic organisms may pose not only health hazards to the users of the river water but also poses risks for the aquatic organisms especially fish of the water bodies. So the occurrence of high bacterial load concluded that the water of the Dhaleshwari river is polluted and unhygienic for drinking and even unsuitable for domestic purposes without proper treatment.

Keywords: Bacteria, Total Coliform, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae

Location: Dhaleshwari River Tangail, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Water quality

Objectives:

The present study was undertaken to enumerate aerobic heterotrophic, enteric and related waterborne pathogens to find out the overall microbial pollution of the Dhaleshwari river.

Methodology:

Dhaleshwari river is the main distributary of Jamuna river and about 290 km long having average depth 37.19 m and maximum depth 80.79 m respectively. Dhaleshwari river starts off the Jamuna river near the north-western tip of the Tangail district. Then the river is divided into two branches namely the northern branch retains the name Dhaleshwari and merges with the other branch Kaligonga river at the southern part of Manikgang district. Finally, the merged flow meets the Shitalakshya river near the Narayanganj district. This combined flow goes southwards to merge into the Meghna river.

The climate of Tangail is characterized by the seasonal changing of the wind, comparatively dry & mild winter and hot & wet summer. Despite the traditional six seasons of the Bengali calendar traditionally Tangail district has four distinctive identifiable seasons in a year; the winter season (December to February), the unsettled period of pre-summer monsoon (March to May), the summer monsoon (June to September) and the retreating monsoon (October to November). The annual average temperature of Tangail district is maximum 38.33⁰C and minimum 10.13⁰C. The annual rainfall is 1830 mm.

2.2. Sample Collection

Water samples were collected from three sampling stations of the Dhaleshwari river namely St-1 is at Belta, St-2 is at the Kendua at Porabari union and St-3 is at Charabari at Tangail Sadar Upazila. Each station is about 1.5 kilometers far from each other and water samples were collected from 1 meter far from the bank of the river. Water samples were collected in the morning between 7.30 - 8.30 am during the month of April, May and June 2015. According to Brammer samples collected from April and May were fall in pre-monsoon (Having high temperature and high evaporation rates) season again samples collected from June were in monsoon season (High intensity of rainfall). We avoided scum and sampling depth was 15 - 30 cm below the water surface. Water samples were taken in sterilized glass bottles marking with the respective identification number and transported in an icebox with sufficient ice blocks to maintain the temperature around 4⁰C - 6⁰C.

2.3. Microbial Analysis

We performed spread plate techniques for total plate count of bacteria with serial dilution in respect of the identification of health hazard bacteria in water samples. Standard plate count (SPC) techniques were used for microbial load from the water samples. For enumeration of different bacteria different selective media were used i.e. MacConkey agar for total coliform bacteria, EMB agar for Escherichia coli and TCBS agar for Vibrio cholera. There considered as total counts of average colonies formed in the plates after incubated at 37⁰C for 48 hours.

2.4. Physicochemical Analysis

In situ data water temperature and DO were recorded with thermometer (mercury thermometer) and DO meter (LT Lulron DO-5509) during the sampling time. Water pH was recorded in the laboratory with the help of pH meter (Adwa, AD1000). Phosphate in water samples determined by UV-Visible Spectro-photometry set by web length at 400 nm; again SO2−4 and NO−3 was recorded by Ion chromatography (Shimadzu Ion Chromatograph, HIC-10-A).

2.5. Statistical Analysis

MS Excel 2010 and SPSS 20 software were used for calculating average, standard deviation and presentation of graphs. The relation between two parameters determined by the Karl Pearson’s correlation coefficient and coefficient of correlation (r) determined.

Source of Information: Advances in Microbiology; Vol.07 No.06(2017), Article ID:77171,11 pages 10.4236/aim.2017.76041

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The present study reveals that the bacteriological parameters investigated in river water were found above the permissible limits of WHO at different locations of Dhaleshwari river. The presence of coliform bacteria indicates that the water contaminated with fecal waste and hence the usage of the water could be hazardous to human health. As a result, the presence of high number of pathogenic bacteria in the river might create a severe injury to fish. Again ingestion of these bacteria during bathing and swimming in the river might cause or rather entrance of waterborne pathogens in food chain around the area. Low dissolved oxygen, higher BOD values, higher pH values reveal that the river water was polluted with organic and chemical pollutants. Considering the microbial and physicochemical pollution level of the water, it is suggested that the water is not suitable for human activities.

The negative relation between the high bacterial load and anion concentration reveals that there is the potentiality of bioremediation of nutrients in the river water. In this regard future study on microbial load, an abundance of microalgae, zooplankton, phytoplankton, fish abundance alone with different macro and micronutrient content should be carried out for a longer period of time to get a clear idea on bacterial load and physicochemical parameters of Dhaleshwari river.

Knowledge Management: Journal