ASSESSMENT OF GROUND WATER QUALITY IN GHATKESAR AND BIBINAGAR AREAS OFANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA

The study was carried out to assess the fluoride (F-), bromide (Br-), chlorides (Cl-), sulfates (SO4 2-), nitrates (NO3 -) and phosphates (PO4 -3) using Ion Chromatograph (IC) in the ground water samples of Ghatkesar and Bibinagar areas of Andhra Pradesh, India, where groundwater is the main source of drinking water. The anionic concentrations in the water samples ranged between; F- (2.01 to 8.51 mg/L), Cl- (38.35 to 542.35 mg/L), Br- (0 to 12.60 mg/L), NO3 - (15.30 to 434.30 mg/L) and PO4 - (35.60 to 343.1 mg/L) and SO4 2- (0 to 12.10 mg/L). The anionic concentrations for F- , Cl-, NO3 - and PO4 -3 exceed the permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) guidelines for drinking water quality. Overall water quality of the study area was found unsatisfactory for drinking purposes.