Abstract:
Sri Lanka is an island with extending coastal shores and extra valuable resources. Anthropogenic
pressures and climate change have made the coastal environment increasingly susceptible. As coastal waters are
dynamic and unstable, monitoring water quality parameters is essential. Monitoring of water quality measures
of coastal waters plays a vital role in identifying the pollution sources and understanding the variations in
water quality. It is helpful for stakeholders in making policies and standards to ensure the current status of the
aquatic environment and life in it. A long-term assessment of physical and chemical properties was conducted
every month for 18 months, from August 2020 to January 2022, at the coastal shores of Mathagal, Point
Pedro, and Charty Beach to understand the current status and Spatio-temporal variations of water quality
parameters in the studied locations. The parameters such as air and water temperature, pH, salinity, Dissolved
Oxygen (DO), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and Electric Conductivity (EC) were measured on-site using the
smarTROLL multiparameter handheld equipment. For statistical analysis, Minitab 2019 statistical software was
used. Sampling locations significantly affected the spatial variation of DO but not the other studied parameters.
The sampling months significantly affected the temporal variation of all assessed water quality parameters.
The overall mean values of air and water temperature, pH, salinity, DO, TDS and EC were 29.90±1.43◦C,
31.61±1.60◦C, 8.11±0.13, 32.57±2.90 ppt, 6.85±0.86 mg/dl, 31.84±2.66 ppt and 52969.6±5355.96 µS/cm
respectively. From the current study, it can be pointed out that the water quality parameters are influenced by
precipitation and seasonal trends.
