Assessment and Management of Heavy Metal Contamination in Water Resources: Sources, Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70130/

Keywords:

Water quality analysis; Heavy Metals; Ground water ; Sustainable water management

Abstract

Water is essential for life on Earth, supporting ecosystems, agriculture, and human societies. However, groundwater and surface water quality are increasingly compromised by heavy metal contamination. Unlike organic pollutants, heavy metals are non-biodegradable, accumulate over time, and pose lasting risks to human health, aquatic life, and the environment. These contaminants originate from natural sources like rock weathering and volcanic activity, as well as human activities such as mining, industrial discharge, and agricultural runoff. Monitoring heavy metal levels in water sources is vital for public health and sustainable water management. This chapter covers the sources and impacts of heavy metals in water, methods for water quality analysis, and regulatory standards. It highlights major heavy metals of concern—lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, chromium, and zinc—each of which has specific sources and health effects. Water quality analysis relies on physical (like as temperature, turbidity, color) chemical (dissolved oxygen, pH, metal concentration), and biological parameters (bacteria, biodiversity) parameters. Sampling techniques, including grab and composite sampling, are also discussed for accurate contamination assessment.

Author Biographies

  • Mahesh Kumar Bhimwal, S.S.G. PAREEK P.G. COLLEGE, JAIPUR

    Prof. (Dr.) Mahesh Kumar Bhimwal is working as Head, Department of Chemistry in S.S.G. PAREEK P.G. College, Jaipur, Rajasthan since 2015. He got his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the University of Rajasthan, and Ph.D. from Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan.  In 2010, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor at MJRP University in Jaipur. In 2013, he joined as   Assistant Professor of Chemistry in Rajdhani College, Delhi University, New Delhi on Ad hoc basis. He has over 20 peer-reviewed research articles in Scopus and UGC-listed journals. He is a life member of various National and International organizations in the field of chemistry. Furthermore, he is member of the editorial boards of several National and International prestigious journals.

  • DR. APARANA PAREEK, University of Rajasthan

    Dr. Aparana Pareek working as Assistant Professor in Department of Chemistry since 20216 . She completed her research work under the supervision of Dr. Deepak Pareek and Prof. Mahesh Kumar Bhimwal in 2023.

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Published

2026-03-31

Data Availability Statement

The data that supports the findings of this study are available within the article.

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Reviews

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Copyright (c) 2026 RSYN Chemical Sciences

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How to Cite

Bhimwal, M. K., & APARANA PAREEK. (2026). Assessment and Management of Heavy Metal Contamination in Water Resources: Sources, Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies. RSYN Chemical Sciences, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.70130/
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