Abstract:
Water plays a significant role in human life and the environment. Due to the application
of pesticides and weedicides in agricultural activities and dumping of solid wastes on
open dumpsites, water resources are now in danger near urban and also rural areas
of Badulla district. With the rainfall and widely spanned streams, it is very easy to
contaminate the water resources in some areas of the Badulla district. The objective of
this study was to identify the NO3
-
and PO4
3-
concentrations of selected natural water
bodies in the Badulla district. Water samples were collected from natural water bodies
located in all 13 divisional secretariat divisions including Haldummulla, Haputhale,
Bandarawela, Ella, Welimada, Uva-Paranagama, Soranathota, Hali-Ela, Lunugala,
Passara, Meegahakiula, Kandaketiya, and Badulla during the period from January to
December 2019. Onsite measurements of temperature, pH, conductivity, and dissolved
oxygen were measured using portable pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and conductivity
meters respectively. Laboratory analysis was conducted to determine NO3
-
and PO4
3-
concentrations using a UV spectrophotometer. The results were compared with the Sri
Lanka Standards (SLS 614:2013) for potable water. The results revealed that NO3
-
concentrations of all water samples were lying under the SLS potable water quality
standards. PO4
3-
concentrations of many water samples exceed the maximum
permissible level of 2 mg L-1
for potable water. The water sample collected from
“Narangahakiula” in Meegahakiula division showed the highest PO4
3-
concentration
value of 17.6 mg L-1
and all the water samples collected from Soranathota, Ella,
Bandarawela, Welimada, Uva Paranagama Meegahakiula, Kandaketiya and some
other water samples collected from Haldummulla and Passara showed higher PO4
3-
concentration values more than the permissible level. The study indicates that the
pollution potential of downstream areas where the catchment is disturbed by human
activities.
Keywords: Physico-chemical parameter, PO4
3-
, NO3
-
, Water quality, Water pollution
