Abstract:
This study was intended to investigate the concentration of selected heavy metals such as: Cr,
Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb; and also physicochemical parameters of water sample from Atebela River.
Water samples were collected from four sampling points along the river impacted by discharges
from different sources of Sebeta City using purposive sampling technique and the concentration
of heavy metals in the river was analyzed by using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy.
Thus, the mean concentration of Cu at sites of A, B, C, and D was 0.072 ± 0.004 mg/L, 0.088 ±
0.01 mg/L, 0.069 ± 0.005 mg/L and 0.080 ± 0.005 mg/L, respectively whereas the mean
concentration of Zn at sites of A, B, C, and D was 0.037 ± 0.003 mg/L, 0.062 ± 0.003 mg/L,
0.048 ± 0.003 mg/L and 0.05 ± 0.003 mg/L, respectively. Physiochemical parameters of the river
such as turbidity, pH and electrical conductivity were found as: 15. 78 ± 0.23 NTU, 31.66 ± 0.5
NTU, 33.05 ± 0.2 NTU, 50.33 ± 0.58 NTU; 7.45 ± 0.23, 6.67 ± 0.01, 7.04 ± 0.11, 7.06 ± 0.12
and 0.162 ± 0.026 mS/cm, 0.945 ± 0.02 mS/cm, 0.820 ± 0.00 mS/cm and 0.830 ± 0.01 mS/cm,
respectively for sites of A, B, C, and D as in their order written . The level of metals studied
found below the minimum concentration limit of WHO and FAO standard for irrigation.
