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Water quality characteristics and controlling factors of springs in Sirmaur district, North-Western Himalayas, India: a multivariate assessment.

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Τίτλος: Water quality characteristics and controlling factors of springs in Sirmaur district, North-Western Himalayas, India: a multivariate assessment.
Συγγραφείς: Sharma A; Department of Environmental Science, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni, Solan, 173230, India. amitasharmaphd@gmail.com.; Department of Botany, Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College, Sector-32C, Chandigarh, 160030, India. amitasharmaphd@gmail.com., Bhardwaj SK; Department of Environmental Science, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni, Solan, 173230, India., Sidhu N; University Centre for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, 140413, India., Soni K; Department of Forest Products, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni, Solan, 173230, India., Sharma P; Department of Tree Improvement and Genetic Resources, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni, Solan, 173230, India.
Πηγή: Environmental monitoring and assessment [Environ Monit Assess] 2026 Feb 07; Vol. 198 (2), pp. 213. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Feb 07.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: Springer Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 8508350 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1573-2959 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01676369 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Environ Monit Assess Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: 1998- : Dordrecht : Springer
Original Publication: Dordrecht, Holland ; Boston : D. Reidel Pub. Co., c1981-
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Water Pollutants, Chemical*/analysis , Natural Springs*/chemistry , Environmental Monitoring* , Water Quality*, Metals, Heavy/analysis ; Himalayas ; India ; Seasons ; Multivariate Analysis
Περίληψη: Springs in the Sirmaur district of the North-Western Himalayas are vital freshwater sources; however, systematic, multi-seasonal data on their physicochemical quality, trace metal concentrations, and land use influences remain scarce. Thirty springs were assessed over 2 years (2021-2023) for physicochemical and heavy metal parameters, seasonal variations, and land use impacts using multivariate statistical methods. Water was neutral to mildly alkaline (pH 6.97-8.06) with moderate mineralization. Calcium and magnesium occasionally exceeded BIS standards, reflecting geogenic inputs from carbonate- and dolomite-rich formations. Lead exceeded permissible limits in both pre- and post-monsoon seasons (up to 0.0163 mg L⁻1), and iron exceeded limits during pre-monsoon (up to 0.3004 mg L⁻1), indicating localized anthropogenic and lithological influences. Water Quality Index (WQI) classified overall quality as "Good" (pre-monsoon 36.26; post-monsoon 37.63), with forested catchments consistently superior. A significant difference (p < 0.05) between agricultural and settlement springs during pre-monsoon indicates enhanced contaminant transport under low-flow conditions. Spearman correlation showed positive associations between pH and Ca, Zn, and Mn, reflecting mineral weathering. Principal component analysis (PCA) distinguished regional geogenic controls from site-specific anomalies shaped by land use and lithology. The study provides a comprehensive, data-driven understanding of spring water quality dynamics, offering insights for springshed management, pollution mitigation, and sustainable water resource planning in Himalayan headwaters.
(© 2026. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.
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Contributed Indexing: Keywords: BIS standards; Land use impact; Lithology; Spearman correlation; Springshed management; WQI
Substance Nomenclature: 0 (Water Pollutants, Chemical)
0 (Metals, Heavy)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260207 Date Completed: 20260707 Latest Revision: 20260707
Update Code: 20260707
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-026-15042-5
PMID: 41653254
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
Περιγραφή
ISSN:1573-2959
DOI:10.1007/s10661-026-15042-5