ABSTRACT
The
pond water is used by a variety of animals i.e. mammals, birds, duck, and fish. Sediments play a
significant role in determining the overall environmental quality for
the living organism. Therefore, in this work, chemical characterization of
pond water and sediment in the largest coal burning basin of India i.e. Korba basin is described. Elements i.e. C, O, S, F,
Cl, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg
were quantified. Toxic metals i.e. As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were highly enriched in the sediments, ranging from 36 - 154, 0.14 - 1.19, 0.12 - 0.82 and 26 - 127 mg/kg with mean value (p = 0.05) of 95 ± 12,
0.62 ± 0.11, 0.35 ± 0.08 and 75 ± 13 mg/kg, respectively. The concentration variations, pollution indices
and sources of elements in water and sediment are discussed.