Heavy metal content in sediment of Godavari river basin

Wastewater is the source of aquatic pollution, which contains toxic substances in the form of pesticide residues, heavy metal salts, oil, radioactive substances etc. The introduction of these innumerable pollutants individually or in combination in natural water causes ecological abnormalities. Sediment in aquatic environment plays a very important role. The benthic organisms are most likely members to be affected by metals in sediments, because, the benthic environment is the main repository of particulate materials that wash into aquatic system. Invariably sediment near sewer outfall contains high metal concentration because of discharge of municipal and industrial wastes. The importance of metals in sediment under appropriate conditions could leach out of the sediment for many years. Sediments are important sources for the assessment of man-made contamination in aquatic systems, Moreover, sediments contamination causes very noxious effects to the whole ecosystem. The conservation of dam is in the interest of man as it’s ecological, cultural and tourist value is immense. The study indicated that increase in toxic waste day by day in dam reservoir produced biological magnification in food chain, which is a challenge to scientists, policy makers, administrators and all those involved in the conservation of the environmen