11.2.2 Anthropogenic Sources
Water systems at global scale are largely contaminated with the HMs due to
anthropogenic activities. Livestock manure, atmospheric deposition, usage of wastewater and polluted water for irrigation, use of sewage sludge-based amendments,
HM-containing pesticides or herbicides, and phosphate-based fertilizers in the
irrigation fields contribute several HMs to the soil and irrigation land significantly
which further contaminate the water systems through runoff and leaching (Elgallal
et al. 2016; Mukherjee and Singh 2018a). Furthermore, HMs are ubiquitous in the
sludge produced from the chemical textile, tannery, distilleries, and electroplating
industries (Chowdhary et al. 2018; Kumar and Chandra 2020). Coal-fired industries
such as thermal power plants and vehicles (burning of fossil fuels) emit heavy metalcontaining particulates into the environment which ultimately accumulate on the
topsoil through atmospheric deposition during subsequent rainfall, which eventually
can contaminate the subsurface water through leaching and percolation. Groundwater contamination with HMs due to the combustion residues of the thermal power
plant and unscientific dumping has been reported by several studies (Sushil and
Batra 2006; Gaikwad et al. 2009; Mukherjee et al. 2020). Surface water bodies of the
Ranipet industrial area of Tamil Nadu, India, were found to be contaminated with
elevated Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn due to the industrial activities such as tannery
and ceramic factories, refractory, boiler auxiliary plant, and chromium chemicals
(Srinivasa Gowd and Govil 2007). Furthermore, landfill leachate is usually enriched
with several HMs, and its inadequate management practices can contaminate the
groundwater and surface water bodies. Such incidents were reported in groundwater
of several Indian cities such as Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Dehradun, Kolkata, and Delhi (Rawat et al. 2008); Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkha, and
Phatthalung provinces of southern Thailand (Decharat 2016); near Oti landfill site
of Kumasi, southern Ghana (Boateng et al. 2019); Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (Teta and
Hikwa 2017); Vientiane, Laos (Vongdala et al. 2019); and Warsaw, Poland (Koda
et al. 2018). Occurrences of Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, Cr, Zn, Cu, Co, and Cd in surface water
of River Nile distributaries of Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, were reported to
originate from the steel, plastic, and battery industries (Mandour and Azab 2011).
Direct disposal of the industrial and agricultural wastes into the waterways and
massive use of pesticides and fertilizers were reported as primary sources of elevated
As and Sr in the groundwater of the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan (Ali
et al. 2019). Paint and cement industries have also been reported as the sources of Zn,
Cu, Pb, and Cd in river water (Singh and Kumar 2017; Kumar and Singh 2018).
Contamination of the surface and groundwater systems by the HMs due to mineral
and coal mining have been widely reported at different parts of the world (Liang
et al. 2011; Demková et al. 2017; Gabrielyan et al. 2018; Wei et al. 2018). The
contaminated mine tailing water can be leached to more than 10 km from its source
and might impact on the soil and water bodies of neighboring area due to leaching
process, increased permeability caused by excavation of aquifer materials, and
extensional fracturing induced by blasting (Singh et al. 2018).
11 An Overview on Heavy Metal Contamination of Water System and Sustainable. . .
259
Water systems at global scale are largely contaminated with the HMs due to
anthropogenic activities. Livestock manure, atmospheric deposition, usage of wastewater and polluted water for irrigation, use of sewage sludge-based amendments,
HM-containing pesticides or herbicides, and phosphate-based fertilizers in the
irrigation fields contribute several HMs to the soil and irrigation land significantly
which further contaminate the water systems through runoff and leaching (Elgallal
et al. 2016; Mukherjee and Singh 2018a). Furthermore, HMs are ubiquitous in the
sludge produced from the chemical textile, tannery, distilleries, and electroplating
industries (Chowdhary et al. 2018; Kumar and Chandra 2020). Coal-fired industries
such as thermal power plants and vehicles (burning of fossil fuels) emit heavy metalcontaining particulates into the environment which ultimately accumulate on the
topsoil through atmospheric deposition during subsequent rainfall, which eventually
can contaminate the subsurface water through leaching and percolation. Groundwater contamination with HMs due to the combustion residues of the thermal power
plant and unscientific dumping has been reported by several studies (Sushil and
Batra 2006; Gaikwad et al. 2009; Mukherjee et al. 2020). Surface water bodies of the
Ranipet industrial area of Tamil Nadu, India, were found to be contaminated with
elevated Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn due to the industrial activities such as tannery
and ceramic factories, refractory, boiler auxiliary plant, and chromium chemicals
(Srinivasa Gowd and Govil 2007). Furthermore, landfill leachate is usually enriched
with several HMs, and its inadequate management practices can contaminate the
groundwater and surface water bodies. Such incidents were reported in groundwater
of several Indian cities such as Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Dehradun, Kolkata, and Delhi (Rawat et al. 2008); Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkha, and
Phatthalung provinces of southern Thailand (Decharat 2016); near Oti landfill site
of Kumasi, southern Ghana (Boateng et al. 2019); Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (Teta and
Hikwa 2017); Vientiane, Laos (Vongdala et al. 2019); and Warsaw, Poland (Koda
et al. 2018). Occurrences of Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, Cr, Zn, Cu, Co, and Cd in surface water
of River Nile distributaries of Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, were reported to
originate from the steel, plastic, and battery industries (Mandour and Azab 2011).
Direct disposal of the industrial and agricultural wastes into the waterways and
massive use of pesticides and fertilizers were reported as primary sources of elevated
As and Sr in the groundwater of the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan (Ali
et al. 2019). Paint and cement industries have also been reported as the sources of Zn,
Cu, Pb, and Cd in river water (Singh and Kumar 2017; Kumar and Singh 2018).
Contamination of the surface and groundwater systems by the HMs due to mineral
and coal mining have been widely reported at different parts of the world (Liang
et al. 2011; Demková et al. 2017; Gabrielyan et al. 2018; Wei et al. 2018). The
contaminated mine tailing water can be leached to more than 10 km from its source
and might impact on the soil and water bodies of neighboring area due to leaching
process, increased permeability caused by excavation of aquifer materials, and
extensional fracturing induced by blasting (Singh et al. 2018).
11 An Overview on Heavy Metal Contamination of Water System and Sustainable. . .
259