Effects of Surface Water Quality on Biochemical Constituents of Selected Aquatic Macrophytes at Sacred Pilgrimage Wetland, Central Gujarat, India
Description
For the present study, sacred pilgrimage pond was selected at Dakor Town, Anand District, Gujarat State, India, during January to April, 2014. The study highlights the surface water quality and biochemical profile of selected aquatic macrophytes Eichhornia crassipes (Ec), Ipomea carnea (Ic), Lemna minor (Lm), Hydrilla verticillata (Hv) and Pistia stratiotes (Ps). To determine the surface water quality, parameters such as Temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Solids (TS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Free CO2, Phenolphthalein Alkalinity (PA), Total Alkalinity (TA), Carbonates, Bicarbonates, Total Hardness (TH), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Chloride, Salinity, Sulphate, Phosphate, Nitrate, Chromium (Cr) and Iorn (Fe). The contents of pH, Free CO2, Chloride, Sulphate, Phosphate and Nitrate were found within the permissible limits prescribed by Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). However, rest of the parameters exhibited little bit high contents than hypothesized. Correlation Coefficient Matrix (r) among surface water quality parameters revealed the strong positive correlation between Temperature & TA, pH & Phosphate, DO with TA & Bicarbonates, TS & TDS, TSS & Nitrate, TDS with Chloride & Salinity, Free CO2 & Mg, TA & Bicarbonates, Bicarbonates & Nitrate, TH & Phosphate, Ca & Fe, Mg with Chloride & Salinity, Chloride & Salinity, Sulphate & Nitrate, Phosphate & Nitrate, Nitrate & Fe, and Cr & Fe. Surface water of study pond was found moderately polluted due to its close vicinity to temple, and direct or indirect anthropogenic pressures e.g. pilgrim wastes, old garlands, food trashes, over-exploited fishing, unrestricted boating, etc. Biochemical profile of selected aquatic macrophytes was screened by analyzing Total Carbohydrates (TC), Proteins, Amino Acids (AA) and Phenols. Plants such as Ec, Ic, Lm, and Ps were rich in Proteins, while Hv was the richest in TC. Overall, TC and Proteins were maximum in Ec, AA in Ps, and Phenols in Ic. Strong positive correlation was observed between all biochemical constituents and Fe in Ec and Ic; TC, AA and Phenols with Fe, Proteins & Cr in Lm; TC & Fe, Proteins & Sulphate, AA & TS, Phenols with Cr in Hv; TC & Cr, Proteins, AA & Phenols with Fe in Ps. Overall, strong positive correlation was observed between TC & Phenols, Proteins & AA, and AA & Phenols in selected aquatic macrophytes. Correlation Coefficient Matrix (r) was also derived between surface water quality and biochemical compounds. Overall, strong positive correlation was observed between TC and Proteins with Fe, AA with Cr, and Phenols with Phosphate. From the above findings, it is evident that surface water quality parameters like Phosphate, Cr and Fe were found to be exceedingly affected by biochemical constituents such as TC, Proteins, AA and Phenols of selected aquatic macrophytes and vice-versa.