This study was undertaken to ascertain the levels of aluminium in surface and ground waters used for water supply in Madras city and also to assess the impact of alum treatment on the aluminium concentration in the water supplied.
| Title | Aluminium content of drinking water in Madras |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 1992 |
| Authors | Pitchai, R, Subramanian, R, Selvapathy, P, Elangovan, R |
| Pagination | p. 83-86: 2 tab. |
| Date Published | 1992-10-01 |
| Keywords | alum, aluminium, coagulation/flocculation, groundwater, india tamil nadu chennai, surface waters, water quality standards, water treatment |
| Abstract | This study was undertaken to ascertain the levels of aluminium in surface and ground waters used for water supply in Madras city and also to assess the impact of alum treatment on the aluminium concentration in the water supplied. Natural surface waters were found to contain on average 0.14 ppm of aluminium. Treatment with alum resulted in the increase of the mean level to 0.18 ppm which is still within the guideline value of 0.2 ppm recommended by the WHO. An increase in aluminium level was observed in 70 per cent of samples. The levels of aluminium in groundwater were found to be higher than those in surface waters, ranging from 0.15 to 1 ppm, clearly in excess of the WHO guideline value. Alum treatment, however, raised the aluminium concentration only in 36 per cent of groundwater samples. It was suggested that the source of aluminium in groundwater was probably the clay mineral kaolinite which is broken down by tropical weathering. |
| Notes | 9 ref. |
| Custom 1 | 253 |
