²¹⁰Pb Geochronology and Heavy Metal Fluxes in Darna and Gangapur Reservoirs, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

The modern agricultural work mainly involves the use of synthetic fertilizers and large scale deforestation. The numerous agricultural activities around the Darna and the Gangapur Reservoirs of the Nashik Distirct, India have started the environmental issues such as an early or rapid eutrophication and heavy metal accumulations. Agricultural runoff and industrial wastes are proved to be the potential sources of heavy metals. The heavy metals may accelerate the effect of pollution on the environment with the decline in the biodegradability of the organic pollutants. The impacts of the anthropogenic activities with the passing time have been recorded in the form of geochemical elements accumulated as the part of bottom sediments of the reservoirs. The present study has revealed that the heavy metal concentration from the core sediments of the reservoirs displays the moderately high to highly positive inter-correlation. The historical profiles of both the reservoirs show the highest enrichments for Cr, Ni, Cu, Co, V, Sc and Eu. The impact of metal pollutants on both the reservoirs is explored with regard to the ages derived from the ²¹⁰Pb geochronology and the constant rate of supply (CRS) model.