IJEP 44(9): 809-816 : Vol. 44 Issue. 9 (September 2024)
Ashok Dhayalan*, Saraswathi, Kushbu R. and Jagadisha T.V.
Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous), Department of Life Sciences, Bengaluru – 560 077, Karnataka, India
Abstract
The goal of the current study was to measure the concentrations of cadmium (Cd) in the soil and pond water of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) in Karnataka, India, as well as the bioaccumulation of cadmium in the muscles of zebrafish grown in the pond water of the affected regions. The wastewater and soil produced by the historic Kolar Gold mines after the extraction of gold, which contained several heavy metals including cadmium, were dumped in and around the mining sites in KGF, resulting in pollution of the immediate surroundings, like soil, water and air. Using Thermo Scientific’s inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Iteva software, the distribution of element cadmium was evaluated and statistically analysed to comprehend the levels of contamination in soil and in the muscles of zebrafish. Similarly, ICP-AES was used to evaluate the heavy metal cadmium in pond water. Based on their proximity to residential areas, four sample sites containing tailings (A, B, C and D) were chosen. The range of the heavy metal cadmium was examined between January to December 2022 for soil and between April and October 2022 for the cadmium in pond water and their subsequent entry into the muscles of zebrafish following a southwest monsoon rain. Analysis of soil samples collected from four mine dumps in the study area indicates high levels of cadmium at the mean concentration of 77.33 mg/kg in the site A (Oorgaum), followed by sites D, C and B, whereas the concentration of Cd in the pond water was exceedingly high in sample site D during October 2022 with 0.258 mg/L against 0.082 mg /L in April 2022. The concentration of Cd in the muscles was exceedingly high in the sample site D with 10.8 mg/kg in October 2022, compared to that of control site values of 0.48 mg/kg and 7.42 mg/kg, observed on day 30 of April month which is far above the threshold values as per the regulatory bodies [1]. The findings of this study will make it easier to determine the degree of surface soil contamination and the likelihood that contaminants may enter biotic components.
Keywords
Kolar gold fields, Cadmium, Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy, Heavy metal toxicity, Bioaccumulation
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