Heavy Metal and Microbial Content in Stream Water Influencing Irrigated soil

Irrigation stream water polluted by sewage containing heavy metals like Cadmium, Cobalt, Aluminium, Lead, Chromium, and microbial communities from bacteria and fungi colony counting influences soil heavy meal concentrations, microbial populations within the Chite River watershed in northeastern India. Water and soil samples were collected seasonally for two years from five selected points. Microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy methods were used for heavy metals analysis which includes Cadmium, Cobalt, Aluminium, Lead and Chromium, while standard plate count method was used to determine bacterial and fungal populations. Statistical analysis includes descriptive statistics, correlation, principal component analysis and linear regression. The result shows that there was detectable concentration of heavy metals in both water and soil, where soil has slightly higher concentration suggesting a possible accumulation through irrigation. Similarly, microbial population was higher in soil than water. The correlation analysis showed significant relationships between the presence of heavy metals and microbial population, this suggests that bacterial and fungal respond differently. PCA identifies the key components influencing environmental variability in the water and soil system. Linear regression further revealed the relationship between water and soil. The findings highlight the ecological connection between irrigation stream water, metal accumulation in the soil, and the reactions of microbes in the study area. Furthermore, the data shows that continuous irrigation can influence soil quality, this emphasizes the necessity of monitoring irrigation water to support a sustainable and healthy agricultural ecosystem.