Statistical approach for the assessment of water pollution around industrial areas: a case study from Patancheru, Medak district, India

Industrial effluents, surface waters, and subsurface groundwaters were sampled in and around the Patancheru industrial area of Nakkavagu basin, India and analysed. The parameters such as TDS, BOD, COD, and abundances of elements such as Cu, As, Se, F, Fe, are 5 to 10 times more than the permissible limits. These pollutants are contaminating the groundwaters at a faster rate than anticipated. A statistical approach is used to express the magnitude of pollution. Initially, correlation matrices of the major parameters and trace elements followed by factor analysis on them are presented to quantify the aspect of pollution. Factor 1 explaining 43.6% variance has positive loadings for variables TDS, BOD, COD, As, Cu, Se, SO4-2, and Cr, suggesting the factor is interpreted to be the 'Pollution or Migration of Pollutants'. The same variables have negative loadings in the subsurface groundwaters suggesting that Factor 1 for these samples is a 'the depositionn or precipitation' phenomenon. With a critical look at the Factor 1 of both surface and subsurface water samples it is indicated that pollutants migrated and became deposited in the environs of the Patancheru industrial area.