COMPARATIVE WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS OF ICELAND AND INDIA

Water quality is of vital importance to a society for its implications on health, industry, socioeconomic status, culture, and ecosystem services. Iceland and India represent nations with some of the world’s most potable drinking water and least potable drinking water, respectively. For this analysis, we collected water quality data in various locations throughout Iceland in 2016 and the Ganges River in Rishikesh, India in 2018. Eight parameters tested (pH, temperature, fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrates, total phosphates, turbidity) were used to establish a ranking using a water quality index (0-100%, poor to excellent) for Iceland and the Ganges River. We found that all the samples collected in Iceland complied with WHO drinking water standards (WQI= 98%), while none of the samples collected in India met minimum criteria (WQI= < 50%). While there are inherent dissimilarities between Iceland and India in terms of population size, comparing management practices and observable water quality offers insights into solutions to India’s poor water quality. To encourage further education about water quality, we collaborated with the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Alliance of India to create an environmental education guide complete with exhibits and labs to cultivate environmental perspectives of the Ganges River.