• Dr.R.ANANDHAN.
• Dr.V.Kavitha
• Mayavan.R
• Naveen.S

Abstract Importance of water in our everyday lives cannot be overstated. Many heavy metals are present in natural water, but only at very low concentrations. Certain metals are essential to both human and animal health, but too much of these may be dangerous. The current study aimed to determine heavy metals such as Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cr, Ni, Se, Cu, Zn, and Fe using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The study was conducted on river Cauvery at the Kumbakonam regions of Tamil Nadu during two seasons (monsoon and post-monsoon). The results highlighted that among studied metals chromium and lead were found to be present during both seasons across all studied areas. It was observed that cadmium, arsenic, chromium, nickel, selenium, cadmium, arsenic and zinc were crossing permissible limits (WHO, 2017) in both post-monsoon and the monsoon seasons. However, mercury, copper, zinc, and iron had concentrations within the limits of WHO in all studied areas during both seasons. The sampling sites were selected based on their importance like dyeing industries, tanneries due to the release of effluents from power plants, steel factories, and cement factories, etc. Here various industries were responsible for the release of wastewater into the river. Heavy metal concentrations in the results revealed that the Cauvery river water became contaminated due to heavy concentrations of lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, nickel, and selenium. Awareness has to be promoted among those who work in industries, those who clean up after those companies, those who work for municipalities, and those who live in and around the areas being studied.

Keywords: Heavy metals, Contamination, Cauvery River, Industrial effluents, anthropogenic activities

"A Heavy Metal Contamination in Cauvery River Water – A Case Study of Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 12, page no.g465-g476, December-2023, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2312654.pdf

"A Heavy Metal Contamination in Cauvery River Water – A Case Study of Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 12, page no. ppg465-g476, December-2023, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2312654.pdf