Ponds are common in parks or open spaces; some are natural while others are artificially created as habitat or reservoirs. The occurrence of contaminants in water resources is of great concern because of its adverse health effect on the ecosystem. Several contaminants are released knowingly and unknowingly into the environment and are washed into ponds as runoffs. These ponds could become a reservoir for contaminants that overflows into the main water resources.

The objectives of this study are to analyze water samples from natural and artificial ponds for the presence of pollutants: aimed at characterizing the presence of heavy metals and pesticides in the different ponds, determine their quality and quantity, and compare the concentration detected to EPA limit. Samples were obtained from industrial, retention, drainage ditch, recreational, natural, and highway sedimentation ponds. The organic components of the samples were analyzed using HPLC and GC-MS for pesticides, and inorganic component was analyzed using ICP-MS for heavy metals.

The HPLC detected atrazine in all ponds (4.14 – 19.54 ppm) which was above EPA limit, and dieldrin in three ponds (0.13 – 1.11 ppm) also above EPA limit. The pesticides identified by GC-MS are atrazine and dieldrin. The concentration of atrazine in all ponds ranged from (14.82 – 44.0 ppm). Dieldrin (0.12 – 0.26 ppm) was detected in the industrial pond was above EPA limit while the concentration in drainage ditch, and highway sedimentation pond were below EPA limit. The GC-MS detected other organic compounds like Acetylphenanthrene and Hexadecanamide. ICP-MS analysis revealed the presence of over 30 heavy metals in the different ponds. Na, Mg, K, Mn, Co, Sr, and Bi were detected above EPA limit.

The industrial pond contained atrazine, dieldrin, strontium, magnesium, and manganese above EPA level, it may come from the industrial waste as byproducts of synthetic chemicals or additives. In drainage ditch, the concentration of atrazine, potassium, sodium, and bismuth was above EPA limit; which could come from different sources including residential, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants, landfills and industries. The contaminants detected in recreational, highway sedimentation, wetland, and natural ponds were below EPA limit except for atrazine. These results indicated that the presence of contaminants in the ponds depends on their purpose, with industrial pond showing as the most contaminated.

In conclusion, this result presents data that can be used in the monitoring of different ponds to maintain a low concentration of pollutants.