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Lakes suffering heavy pollution by anthropogenic activities around the world—a Gulshan Lake, b Bellandar Lake, c Onondaga Lake, d Lake Valencia, e Lake Lugano, and f Lake Karachay
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Gulshan Lake is an urban waterbody in the most exclusive area of Dhaka city, which is confronting a heavy load of pollution by anthropogenic activities. Prior studies were reviewed to analyze the trends of pollution. Rise of ammonia (eutrophication), lack of dissolved oxygen, and toxic heavy metals (as Pb, Cr, Cd, etc.) increase are the leading fac...
Citations
... The uptake of phosphorus by biota increases the phosphorus storage capacity in the application area [59]. However, elevated concentrations of NO 3 − and PO 4 3− can have detrimental effects on aquatic organisms as it may lead to depleted oxygen levels and prompt eutrophication [60]. The mid-lower reaches of the river had notable total SO 4 2− concentrations, which may be related to the usage of sulfate-containing fertilizers in the farming operations in this zone. ...
Urbanization has caused severe negative impacts on intra-urban river water worldwide. In this study, the WHO drinking water standards (2024) were used as reference to assess the physicochemical properties, heavy metals (HMs) content and microbial load in water and sediment samples collected from 25 locations along Rachiine River, located in Northern Lebanon, during wet and dry periods. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied to evaluate the seasonal variations in water and sediment quality, and determine the pollution sources. The microbial load assessment indicated high pollution levels by Escherichia coli, fecal enterococci, total coliform and fecal coliform, which generally increased as the river progressed downstream. Cluster analysis (CA) provided three major clusters in the study region, representing the northern, central, and southern sectors of the river. Principal components analysis (PCA) of water samples generated four principal components (PCs) accounting for 64.3, 11.4, 7.6 and 4.1% of the total variance, whereas PCA of sediment samples explained 59.1, 16.9 and 11.1% of the data set variance. These PCs revealed that the quality of water and sediments is significantly impacted by point and diffuse sources, including geological and anthropogenic factors. These findings call for urgent management strategies to limit future deterioration of the aquatic bodies.
... Hatirjheel, centrally located in Dhaka, is surrounded by residential areas and serves as a major travel route for local neighborhoods 25 . However, the water quality of nearby Gulshan Lake has critically deteriorated due to severe pollution, threatening local biodiversity 26 . Hatirjheel itself is a 3.8 km long and 2.5 m deep area facing environmental challenges 27 . ...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose significant environmental and health risks due to their toxic properties, making their assessment in urban water bodies crucial. This study aims to evaluate the presence of three notable PAHs-anthracene, fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene-in the surface water of three rivers (Buriganga, Meghna, and Turag) and two lakes (Hatirjheel and Gulshan) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FD) was employed and validated for PAH determination, using solid phase extraction (SPE) with preconditioned C-18 SPE cartridge for sample extraction. Calibration showed excellent linearity with correlation coefficient (R²) ≥ 0.999. The limits of detection (LODs) were 200 ng/L for anthracene and 0.63 ng/L for both fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene, with corresponding limits of quantification (LOQs) of 660 ng/L and 2.08 ng/L, respectively. Percent recovery was 91.38% for anthracene, 85.49% for fluoranthene, and 95.72% for benzo[a]pyrene, with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 5.27, 17.55 and 2.84%, respectively. Most water samples had PAH levels below detection limits (bdl) such as anthracene (bdl-1789.57 ng/L), fluoranthene (bdl-1309.23 ng/L), and benzo[a]pyrene (bdl-25.17 ng/L), and the detected concentrations were significantly lower than WHO and USEPA guideline values. This indicates a relatively low level of PAHs contamination in the studied water bodies
... The water in nearly all the lakes in Dhaka City has taken on a green hue, which indicates excessive nutrient loads and the deposition of waste materials from local households and industries. Most targeted sampled locations exhibit a deep green color, raising concerns about the potential development of algal blooms [34]. Moreover, water quality parameters, such as biochemical oxygen demand, electric conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and heavy metal concentrations, have surpassed established irrigation and drinking water standards [35]. ...
... Ref. [34] reported that arsenic, nickel, cadmium, and lead concentrations in these water resources exceed the standard values for irrigation, fisheries, and manufacturing use. Additionally, an unpleasant odor has become perceptible around the lakes due to excessive eutrophication, contributing to water quality deterioration. ...
In response to global urbanization and economic development, urban surface water pollution has become a universal challenge and particularly affects densely populated megacities, and Dhaka is no exception. The discharge of 98% of untreated domestic sewage and massive volumes of industrial wastewater from over 7000 industries escalate surface water crises. This study investigates microbial and fecal contamination with particular emphasis on Cryptosporidium in surface water, known for causing waterborne diseases, such as cryptosporidiosis. Findings reveal high Cryptosporidium oocyst concentrations and fecal contamination in various water bodies in Dhaka City. Among the investigated water bodies, the Buriganga River exhibits the highest Cryptosporidium oocyst concentration (46%), while the Balu River, Turag River, Shitalakkhya River, Dhanmondi Lake, Gulshan Lake, Banani Lake, Ramna Lake, and Crescent Lake also present high levels of oocyst concentrations ranging from 21–40%. This study also calculated infection risks and found that the infection risk of swimming is highest during the wet season and is (3.9 ± 2.2 (95% CI: 3.0–5.0)) × 10−2 per swimming event, whereas it is approximately (2.4 ± 1.9 (95% CI: 1.6–3.3)) × 10−2 during the dry season. Annual diving risks are approximately (1.2 ± 0.6 (95% CI: 0.9–1.4)) × 10−2, indicating considerably high risks. Most of the sampling sites generally show significantly higher risks than other study areas like the Mymensingh and Kushtia Districts. In light of these results, we strongly recommend immediate measures to address water quality issues and mitigate the risks associated with Cryptosporidium contamination in Dhaka’s surface water.
... high concentration of ammonium (12 ppm or more) in water could be due to the organic pollution, gas work pollution and high decomposition that may lethal to fish and other aquatic organisms [28]. The both Hatirjheel Lake and Dhanmondi Lake faced nutrient toxicity in case of NH 4 + contents and is lethal for many tropical fish species that supported by [24,29]. ...
The study was conducted to assess the seasonal variations of water quality in Hatirjheel Lake and Dhanmondi Lake during the period from August, 2019 to January, 2020. The water samples were collected monthly during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons from five sampling stations of both lakes. Comparative analysis revealed that mean pH was near the standard level in both lakes where DO concentration was much lower in Hatirjheel Lake than Dhanmondi Lake which could be due to the direct dumping of nearby residential and commercial waste, and domestic sewages from the city drainage system as well. The BOD concentration in Hairjheel Lake water exceeded the standard in both seasons and there was no significant change over seasons. In contrast, the Dhanmondi Lake water showed relatively lower BOD concentrations in both seasons where mean concentration slightly exceeded the standard in some stations. The EC and TDS contents showed positive relations but exceeded the standard limit throughout seasons in both lakes. The nutrient contents (NO 3-, NO 2-and NH 4 +) of Hatirjheel Lake water highly exceeded the standard during the study that tends the lake water prone to eutrophication. The study revealed that the physicochemical parameters and nutrient status of Dhanmondi Lake water were within the standard limit except EC indicating a rich habitat for aquatic organisms and sounds for recreational activities than Hatirjheel Lake which should be monitored throughout the year to maintain the productivity of lake water systems.
... In terms of electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), heavy metals, and other pollutants, water in almost all lakes exceeded the drinking and irrigation standard limit (Rahaman et al. 2017). According to Rahman and Hossain (2019), Cd, As, Ni, and Pb in lake water exceeded the irrigation, fishing, and industrial water standard values. Besides, bad odor is observed from lakes because of excess organic materials and heavy metals, and nutrients from surrounding sources into the water body. ...
... The key sources of heavy metal pollution in the lakes of Dhaka city are the scarcity of a good sanitation system, callous organic and inorganic waste dumping, and the untreated industrial effluents that are discharged into the surface water bodies (Bashar and Fung 2020). DWASA claimed waste dumping through sewerage pipes and small drains are deteriorating the water quality of the lakes and inducing heavy metals pollution in the water bodies (Rahman and Hossain 2019). Adequate data, knowledge, and strategies are required to help authorities and policymakers to mitigate and control the current heavy metals pollution scenario. ...
In Dhaka megacity (Bangladesh), lakes located in the most exclusive areas are considered crucial urban water bodies. However, these water sources are confronting a heavy load of organic and inorganic pollutants by anthropogenic activities and are being polluted continuously. In this review , 50 relevant published documents on the lake water of Dhaka megacity to highlight the overall water quality status and the potential ecological and human health risks associated with contaminations were studied. The retrieved documents were organized according to the relevant information and examined thoroughly. After a careful review, it was found that most of the lake water in Dhaka city is severely contaminated with heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Mn with a higher concentration of Pb and Cd than the guideline values for drinking and industrial uses. The physicochemical properties and microbial contamination with an elevated level of fecal coliforms in lake water indicate very poor water quality in all lakes. The EC and TDS in most of the lake water exceeded the standard limits with the highest EC value (4920 µS/cm) for Gulshan Lake. The indices-based water quality assessment revealed considerable heavy metal contamination in the lake's water. Few lakes are found at a minimal level of ecological risks. The assessments of health risk indicate lower non-cancer risk. Overall, it can be inferred that the lake water in the Dhaka megacity does not meet the requirements for domestic, drinking, fishing, and industrial uses. This review study will be helpful for the policymakers and environmentalists to know about the status and sources of pollution in the lake water in the megacity which in turn assist to take necessary actions to mitigate the pollution level from the studied lakes of Dhaka city, Bangladesh.
... They also receive untreated sewage and sewage polluted surface run off from adjacent residence, industries, and communities. The recent studies indicate that the lake water has already reached to a dangerous state in terms of parameters like total solid in the water, level of alkalinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand etc. (Rahman and Hossain, 2019). In recent time, due to excessive population pressure, unawareness of users, lack of enforcement of legal matters, very few of the water bodies retain good water quality and biodiversity (Alam et al., 2014). ...
Lakes in the Dhaka city have been facing extreme deterioration both by quantity and quality due to rapid urban and population growth for several decades. The prime objective is to assess the spatiotemporal changes of water quality and water quantity of the Dhaka city lakes respectively using Sentinel 2B and Landsat satellite images. The study covers the major twelve lakes of the Dhaka city. The four seasonal water qualities such as chlorophyll-a concentration, trophic state index (TSI), Secchi disk depth (SDD) and turbidity were retrieved with the conventional algorithms using Sentinel 2B images. The results showed that the Uttara Park Lake reduced its area dramatically from 1972 to 2020 due to the rapid urbanization in this region. Although the Zoo Lakes areas increased more than three times but the Banani, Hatirjheel and Dhanmondi lakes reduced to about 60-75% from 1972 to 2020 due to the urbanization and filling up the lake's area. On the other hand, Gulshan, Crescent and Ramna Lakes reduced their area slightly about 10-20% during the study period. The chlorophyll-a concentration from post to pre-monsoon, increased in six lakes (Uttara Park, Zoo North, Gulshan, Old Airport, Dhanmondi and Hatirjheel), declined in six lakes (Zoo South, Banani, Ramna, Uttara, Uttara South and Crescent) of Dhaka city. Although the TSI illustrated all lakes in the eutrophic states from post to pre-monsoon but the value of TSI increased in six lakes and declined six lakes of the twelve point samples within the retrieved spatial distribution of TSI using satellite images of Dhaka city. In case of Secchi depth, the SDD values declined from post-monsoon to pre-monsoon in all of the lakes, indicating the deteriorating water quality of the lakes. On the other hand, the turbidity values increased in all lakes of Dhaka city from post-monsoon to pre-monsoon. We observed pH values ranges from 7-9 in the lakes during the field works early March and May of 2021. The observed EC values of the lakes ranges from 148-730μs/cm and 130-690μs/cm respectively in winter and pre-monsoon seasons. None of the samples of the lakes meets the standard of dissolved oxygen (DO) collected in March, 2021, but Dhanmondi and Uttara Lake samples collected in May, 2021 meet the standard. Biological oxygen demand (BOD) value is extremely high and none of the samples meets the acceptable limit of BOD. Among the cations, only Hatirjheel, Gulshan, Uttara, Uttara South/W, Zoo South and North Lake exceeded the acceptable limit for K⁺. Among the anions, Hatirjheel, Gulshan, Banani, Uttara, Uttara South/W Lake exceed the standard for HCO3− and Hatirjheel, Gulshan, Banani, Old Airport, Uttara Park, Uttara South/W Lake exceed the standard limit for NO3−. Uttara Lake shows the maximum concentration of PO43− and does not meet the standard limit. All the samples meet the standard for Fe and Mn. The outputs of this study could be used to minimize the degradation of Dhaka city lakes both in terms of quantity and quality and will help take necessary measures for healthy and sustainable lake environment.
... In megacities like Dhaka, Delhi, or others, because of the rapid population overgrowth, ponds are often filled up and turned into land for housing and industries, and the remaining rest are mostly unusable because of the dangerous water quality [11,12]. Now, as the water quality checking and pollution monitoring process is less prior to work and the authority gets notified after an alarming situation, people already suffer from various health hazards and economic disruption. ...
Water is one of the most important key substances on earth. The existence of the human race depends on it. Though 71% area of the earth is covered by water, only 0.3% is usable by humans, which makes it more precious than any other substance. Not only for drinking but also for agriculture, fisheries, and all other sectors, quality of water is essential. However, for the past few years, the quality of usable water has been decreasing at an alarming rate, so it has become a vital issue to monitor and analyze the water quality of our surroundings to avoid a catastrophic disaster. This paper proposes an IoT-based water pollution monitoring system that provides a comparison and reports about water quality and pollution using different parameters. The system inputs the temperature, pH, and turbidity from the water using sensors and stores the value in a cloud database with a microcontroller. Then, after processing those data from the cloud and comparing them with the standard value, quality and pollution rate can be monitored with any internet-connected device such as a smartphone or laptop. As an IoT-based system, it is quite cost-effective and an easy-to-use method. So, the proposed system can be significantly beneficial to our society.
... Lake Gulshan's water temperature is around 21.3 • C during December and 32.3 • C in July, indicating an unfavourable temperature for the amphibians, benthic organisms, and fish within the lake system. The shortening of the winter period due to global warming will exacerbate such a rise in temperature in the coming decades (Rahman and Hossain, 2018). The study shows that the pH value is somewhat higher (shown in Table 2) in the dry season compared to the wet season. ...
... This study revealed that the dissolved oxygen level in Lake Gulshan is around 1 mg/L throughout the year, indicating a serious ecological problem for benthic communities within the system. Exceptionally low dissolved oxygen levels promote anaerobic decay, fish mortality, odorous ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide production (Rahman and Hossain, 2018). Low levels of dissolved oxygen are reported previously by Sabit (2011), where DO ranges between 0.03 and 3.74 mg/L. ...
... The runoff contains more silt in the wet season due to heavy rainfall (more than 1000 mm rainfall) during the wet season. TDS is a measure of dissolved inorganic salts mostly from calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) cations, and dissolved organic matters from Cl − , CO 3 − , HCO 3 − , NO 2 − , NO 3 − , SO 4 2− anions originating from natural, municipal, industrial wastewater, urban runoff (Rahman and Hossain, 2018). The TDS of Lake Gulshan is within the recommended limits, while the TDS increases by 234.48% in the wet season due to Lake Gulshan's high organic loading and urban runoff. ...
The Lake Gulshan has gained special attention to restore its water quality for public health safety, congenial lake bund, and aquatic lives as the lake is a popular recreational place and neighbourhood of critical residential and diplomatic zones. Therefore, this study assessed water quality and pollution sources of Lake Gulshan, located in the city of Dhaka in Bangladesh during dry and wet seasons, using the water quality index (WQI) rating system, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model. Extremely low levels of dissolved oxygen (as low as 0.2 mg/L in the dry season and 0.8 mg/L in the wet season) in the lake water suggest that it is almost impossible for any living organisms to survive. Consequently, high levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, a measure of biodegradable organic matter up to 80 mg/L), Phosphate, and Nitrate (indicators of eutrophication potential as far as 5.06 mg-P/L and 228 mg-N/L) were detected in the lake water, indicating severe anthropogenic pollution. A strong correlation (Pearson with 2-tailed t-test, r = 0.85 in the dry season, r = 0.76 in the wet season, p
... Water quality degradation resulting from point and nonpoint source pollution has become a serious issue worldwide due to natural processes (e.g., weathering, precipitation, soil erosion, etc.), anthropogenic activities (e.g., agricultural, urban and industrial activities) and the increased utilization of water resources (Fulazzaky et al. 2010;Sharma and Bhattacharya 2017). The hydrogeochemical properties of water are important factors determining their use for domestic, industrial, and irrigational purposes; however, they are easily polluted due to their critical roles in transporting municipal and industrial pollution and runoff from agricultural land (Singh et al. 2004;Rahman and Hossain 2019). Thus, it is important to identify and understand the sources, their interactions, and effects of water pollutants in the river basins. ...
The continuum fluctuations of river water quality and the metal contamination within the sediments of Netravati river basin were analysed using multivariate techniques and environmental indices. Water and sediment samples were collected from ten locations along the flow path of river in the basin and the hydrogeochemical features were investigated. The results were compared with maximum permissible limit values recommended by World Health Organization. A comprehensive Water Quality Index methodology was applied to come up with transparent understanding of overall excellence in water quality status. The dominant water cations and anions were within the order of Na⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > K⁺ and HCO3⁻ > Cl⁻ > SO4²⁻ > NO3⁻. The average abundance of sediment heavy metals was in the order of Pb > Mn > Ni > Zn > Cr > Cu > Co. An approach of exploiting environmental indices: enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, contamination factor, degree of contamination, modified degree of contamination and Pollution Load Index were accustomed to assess the pollutant level. Geochemical investigation and spatial distribution of heavy metals were represented by geographic information system based maps. The results indicate that lead contamination of surficial sediments might pose a significant threat to aquatic biota and the persistent exposure of pollutants even in low concentration causes changes in metabolic activities and alterations in the community structure of river biota.
Physicochemical parameters, chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration, and phytoplankton community structure were assessed in the Wouri estuarine mangrove sector of the Douala Bassa Industrial Zone of Cameroon over two seasons. Three sets of water samples were collected from 10 sites for these analyses. Some physicochemical parameters were measured in situ using multiparameter equipment (HANNA 8289). The data were subjected to analyses of significant difference by an independent sample t ‐test. Correlation and principal component analysis conducted between variables Temperature, salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), resistivity, and turbidity showed a strong seasonal variation among sites. Mean Chl a concentration (3.7–48.29 µg/L for dry and 0.1–20.1 µg/L for rainy season) revealed that most sites were eutrophic, with the Euglenophycean index less than 1 in all the sites. Phytoplankton species richness exhibited seasonal and spatial variation, with a total of 74 taxa and 51 taxa for the dry and rainy seasons, respectively. The division Bacillariophyta was the most abundant, with 19 families and 24 species during the dry season and 17 families and 16 species during the rainy season. Other phytoplankton divisions present included Chlorophyta > Cyanophyta > Charophyta > > Myzozoa > Euglenophyta in the dry season; the less diverse divisions in the rainy season were Rhodophyta > Cryptophyta > Xanthophyta > Euglenophyta. High concentrations of nutrients and the presence of eutrophic species such as Microcystis aeruginosa suggest pollution and a need to monitor activities carried out along the water course with respect to the quantity and quality of industrial effluents discharged into the stream. The observed eutrophication explains the noxious odor across the city of Douala, especially during the dry season. The human health implications could be severe, with communities dependent on this contaminated stream for fish and other necessities a scenario that repeats itself in communities dependent on urban wetlands in industrial zones globally.