Assessment of Physico-chemical Characteristics of Domestic Sewage Channels in Veraval City and Bhidiya Fishing Village, Gujarat, India

The present study aims to find the hydrochemical characteristics of seven domestic wastewater channels in Veraval and Bhidiya, Gujarat, over an eight-month monitoring period from August 2023 to March 2024. The discharge of untreated domestic sewage continues to be a major contributor to environmental deterioration in coastal urban areas and fishing settlements, posing serious threats to marine ecosystem health. A broad range of physicochemical parameters was assessed following standard analytical procedures, including temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity, alkalinity, total hardness, electrical conductivity, chloride, total solids (TS), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), nitrate, and phosphate. Results indicated relatively consistent temperature (25.05 - 25.49 °C) and pH (7.22 - 7.37) values across sites; however, pronounced spatial variations were observed in salinity (5.37 - 15.41 ppt), electrical conductivity (746.33 - 1956.41 µS cm⁻¹), and chloride concentrations (2958.81 - 10103.98 mg L⁻¹). These disparities suggest varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure and differences in wastewater composition between urban and rural discharge points. Severe organic contamination was reflected by critically low DO levels (0.024 - 0.041 mg L⁻¹) and extremely elevated BOD values (222.25 - 377.70 mg L⁻¹). Additionally, substantial particulate and dissolved matter loads were recorded, with maximum TS, TDS, and TSS concentrations reaching 19530.08 mg L⁻¹, 18083.58 mg L⁻¹, and 1455.33 mg L⁻¹, respectively. Elevated nutrient levels, particularly nitrate (11.29 - 21.87 mg L⁻¹) and phosphate (1.00 - 2.82 mg L⁻¹), indicate a high potential for eutrophication in the receiving coastal waters. Overall, the findings reveal pronounced deterioration of wastewater quality in both study areas, underscoring the urgent need for strict regulatory implementation, increased public awareness, and strengthened governmental efforts to establish effective wastewater treatment systems and sustainable management practices to protect coastal biodiversity and fisheries resources.