Inorganic pollutants in the Padma River, Bangladesh

The water and bed-sediment pollution status of the Padma River was determin ed by analysis of representative samples for selected metals and ions. Wate r and bed-sediment samples were collected at a T-dam, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, for 7 months. Water and silt-metal content analysis was performed using at omic absorption spectrophotometry or other analytical methods. The data sho wed the variation of the metal ion-levels in water as follows: Ca 17.11-48. 37 ppm, Na 17.51-20.09 ppm, K 1.00-3.60 ppm, Cr 2.80-7.00 ppm, and SO4 4.17 -5.48 ppm; in bed sediment, the levels were Cr 35-1050 ppm and Pb 12-48 ppm . The occurrence of Na, K and Ca was in the normal range (US EPA permissibl e limit), but the levels of Cr in water were much higher than the permissib le limit. The SO4 ion content was well below the pollution level. The conce ntration of Pb in the bed sediment was within the permissible limit for the standard International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Soil-Sa, but the concen tration of Cr in the bed sediment was significantly higher than the permiss ible limit for the standard IAEA Soil-5a. Thus the Padma river water was po lluted with Cr. The occurrence of some ions showed a monthly variation.