Abstract

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF DRINKING WATER SAMPLES FROM DIFFERENT PLACES OF THOOTHUKUDI CITY

Sr. C. Shibana*, R. D. Thilaga and S. Durga Devi

ABSTRACT

Water is one of the most important of all natural resources known on earth. It is important to all living organisms, most ecological system, human health, food production and economic development. The safety of drinking water is affected by various contaminants which included chemicals. An investigation of physic-chemical properties of drinking water samples from three different locations in Thoothukudi City. Water samples were collected especially in sterile containers from River, Borehole and Well. Physico – chemiacl properties are analyzed using standard laboratory procedures like temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solid(TDS), salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, manganese, freeammonia nitrite, nitrate, chloride. fluoride, sulphate, phosphate and total hardness. The results obtained were compared with the WHO standards for drinking water. The physico-chemical characters of all the three drinking water samples were within the recommended permissible level of WHO except total hardness and total alkalinity. The total hardness of river and the well water varied in between 680-820mg/l and the total alkalinity of borewell water is 700mg/L which indicates that water from and around Thoothukudi is moderately hard. Thus the study suggests that the Thambirabarani river water needs urgent measures to control pollution and also to aware the local people to properly treat the water before using.

Keywords: Physico-Chemical properties, TDS, Conductivity, turbidity, pH.