Assessment of Physicochemical Parameters of Dokhtawady River Water around Yeywa Hydropower Plant

Mi Mi Khin, Su Su Win, Lei Lei Win & Sandar Shein

Myanmar Health Sciences Research Journal

In this paper, the water samples were collected from Dokhtawady River in July 2017. Water samples from five different sites around Yeywa Hydropower plant were compared. The physicochemical parameters of water samples such as pH, turbidity, conductivity, colour, total alkalinity, chemical parameters were studied by various analytical methods using pH meter, conductivity meter, turbidity meter and test kits. The present study was also undertaken to determine heavy metals concentration in river water. Heavy metals concentrations were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The results were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water. The study area had average temperature of 25ºC. Turbidity of river water fluctuated from 0.91 NTU to 2.5 NTU. The range of pH was found from 6.9 to 7.1. 

Among the abiotic components of the environment, water is one of the essential things. Water occurs 97.2 % in ocean and 70% of water is needed for human body. Various health problems may occur due to the poor quality of water supply. It is very important to identify the presence of heavy metals in water. Drinking water containing high levels of toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead may be hazardous to human health. One of themajor symptoms of heavy metal toxicity seems to break down the immune system, which opens the gateway for all kinds of diseases in the body.¹

Among the abiotic components of the environment, water is one of the essential things. Water occurs 97.2 % in ocean and 70% of water is needed for human body. Various health problems may occur due to the poor quality of water supply. It is very important to identify the presence of heavy metals in water. Drinking water containing high levels of toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead may be hazardous to human health. One of themajor symptoms of heavy metal toxicity seems to break down the immune system, which opens the gateway for all kinds of diseases in the body.¹

Physical parameters

Temperature

The water temperature plays an important factor which influences the chemical, bio-chemical characteristic of water. Yeywa hydropower station has a continental subtro-pical climate. It is cold and dry in winter and it is very hot with wet southwest monsoon in summer. The average temperature of 25°C was recorded in July in the year 2017.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.