Analyses of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Ganga River Water in Uttar Pradesh, India

Poonam Sonwani and Sandhya Bharti

Analyses of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Ganga River Water in Uttar Pradesh, India

2023

Poonam Sonwani and Sandhya Bharti

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in the Ganga River water samples collected from three cities. Jajmau (Kanpur), Dala Khera (Fatehpur), and Kara Kachar (Kaushambi) of Uttar Pradesh, India. At Jajmau (Kanpur), out of sixteen PAHs, eight were found in the Ganga river water in concentration (μg.L-1) order: acenaphthylene (3.8356) > pyrene (0.5878) > fluorene (0.5752) > anthracene (0.2806) > benzo(b)fluoranthene (0.1960) > phenanthrene (0.0526) > benzo(a)pyrene (0.0234) > naphthalene (0.006). In contrast, in Dala Khera (Fatehpur), two PAHs: anthracene (0.2806) and fluorene (0.07894), were observed. In Kara Kachar (Kaushambi), only single phenanthrene (0.04507) was detected. It was noticed that the three-ring types of PAHs occur commonly in all three sites. It is concerning because the river water sampled had PAH concentrations, namely Acy, Flu, Phe, and Pyr, that were relatively higher than those recommended (0.05 μg.L-1) by WHO (1998) in surface water. In contrast, the amounts of Nap, Ant, BbF, and Bap were recorded within the safe levels in Kanpur, while in the other two cities (Fatehpur and Kaushambi), Phe and Ant were detected lower than their permissible limit. Flu was measured as higher than its recommended value by WHO (1998). Similarly, the concentration of Acy, Ant, Pyr, BbF and BaP in river water samples at Jajmau, Kanpur were higher than their safe limits suggested by RIVM report 607711007/2012 for inland surface water while Nap, Flu, and Phe were lower than their recommended values. However, at, Dala Khera and Kara Kachar (Fatehpur and Kaushambi respectively), the concentrations of Ant, Flu and Phe were lower than their prescribed limits given by RIVM 607711007/2012.

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