Rameeza S, Srikant V, Mallikarjuna Rao D, Ramakrishna C. Study of Ground Water Quality In Industrial Zone Of Visakhapatnam. Advances In Applied Science Research [serial online]. August 2012;3(4):2463-2467. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 14, 2012
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Although this study does indeed help us draw some inferences about the residents around the Gowanus canal, I felt that the researchers at Pelagia Research used a too small sample size for the conclusion that they reached. I felt that this article was biased in proving that the industrial buildings in the area caused massive contamination to the city’s water, that they did not go the extra mile to make sure that their study was a big representative sample.
Visakhaptnam, India, has been a home to a big number of chemical, metal and petroleum plants as well as textiles. The city is on its way to becoming hugely industrialized. However, due to the geography of the region, the city is in a vally, and the various chemical emissions from the industrial factories and plants in the the city, there is a growing concern that the residents of the city are in danger of heightened health risks.
This study compares different water samples from around the city, and observes the water quality and any chemicals that may be lingering within it. The study reported that the ground water in the city is more alkaline than normal, ph of 6.5-8.5. The water is also has abnormal TDS values that ranged from 380-1600 mg/l, which revealed that the ground water around the city, the water found in the city’s wells, is unsuitable to drink healthily.
This study can be related back to the Gowanus Canal. Contamination of drinking water is a serious issue, and can be an issue for the residents, now and future, of the Gowanus Canal. The preservation of human health should always be a priority, and like the ground water from the Indian City, the Gowanus Canal water is very polluted and can be affecting the water that residents in the area use.
I’d like to hear more about the sampling. You don’t necessarily need big samples for them to be representative. Where else might the contamination be coming from?