Modulatory Effect of Tannery Effluents on Physicochemical Quality of River Water

Transcription

1 Chemical Science Transactions DOI: /cst , 3(1), RESEARCH ARTICLE Modulatory Effect of Tannery Effluents on Physicochemical Quality of River Water VINAY KUMAR SINGH 1, ZULFIQAR ALI and ABHAY RAJ 2 1 Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Kursi Road, Lucknow, U.P, India 2 Environmental Microbiology Section, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow (U.P) India vk.06@rediffmail.com Received 9 April 2013 / Accepted 8 May 2013 Abstract: Effluents are main source of direct and often continuous input of pollutants in to aquatic ecosystem with long term implications on ecosystem functioning. In present study, an investigation has been made to ascertain the effect of tannery effluents (untreated and treated) on quality Ganga river water near Jajmau area at Kanpur city, India. The effluents were mixed with Ganga river water at concentration of 5%, 15%, 25%, 50% and 75% v/v and analyzed for physicochemical parameters like ph, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total alkalinity (TA), total hardness (TH), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in laboratory condition. The results of the study indicate that incorporation of tanneries effluents make highly adverse effect on river Ganga. So the result obtained shows that tannery wastewater is added continuously in river water, few years from now, serious water quality deterioration could take place, which will serious threat to aquatic and human life. Keyword: Tannery effluents, River water, Modulatory effect Introduction Water is an essential compound for all living being including humans 1. Diverse uses of the Rivers are seriously impaired due to pollution. River pollution has several dimensions and effective monitoring and control of River pollution requires the expertise from various disciplines 2. The river Ganga has shaped cultural, spiritual and economic life of the Indian people. Ganga River is the life line of Kanpur and its water is used for domestic and agricultural purposes, therefore has been extensively surveyed for its physicochemical parameters. Physicochemical and microbiological characteristics may describe the quality of water 3, therefore an analysis of physicochemical parameters of Ganga River water was made by many workers 4-8. Industrial effluents from leather tanneries discharged higher amount of metal especially chromium. These effluents released on river or canal as well as dump into ground water and lead to contamination of chromium due to accumulation. It has been reported that only about 20% of the large number of chemicals used in the tanning

2 74 Chem Sci Trans., 2014, 3(1), process is absorbed by leather and the rest is released as waste. The maximum concentration of these waste material absorbed by bioaccumulation process in cultivated crops irrigated by tannery effluent Tannery effluents are one of the hazardous pollutants of industries. Major problems are due to waste water containing heavy metals, toxic chemicals, chlorides, lime with high dissolved and suspended salts and other pollutants 11. Tanneries generate waste water in the range of L/Kg skin/hide processed with variable ph and high concentration of suspended solids, BOD, COD, tannins including chromium 12. The present work focused to see the modulatory effect of tannery effluents on physicochemical parameters like ph, temperature, conductivity, TH, TA, TDS, DO, COD, BOD etc. of Ganga River water. The Water quality of Ganga River can be estimated after addition of % tannery effluents in laboratory condition to predict the future status of river water. The Ganga River in Jajmau area at Kanpur city is valuable source of irrigation, fishing and house work, so in order to find current status of pollutants discharged from the various tanneries, chemical criteria provide significant information about the present status of contaminant concentration on river water with special reference to human health. The observed values of various physicochemical parameters of water samples were compared with standard values recommended by world health organization (W.H.O) 14. Experimental Water sample was collected from the Ganga River near Jajmau Bridge (Kanpur side) in the month of January, 2013 at Kanpur. Site Region Stream I Jajmau Bridge Midstream The Ganga Water sample was collected in plastic container. BOD Bottles filled with samples were brought to laboratory with necessary precautions. The treated (final discharge) and untreated tannery effluents were collected from C.E.T.P, Kanpur, in the month of January, The tannery effluents (treated & untreated) were first filtered through Whatman filter paper No.1 to remove the suspended particles. The percent of effluents viz; 5%, 15%, 25%, 50% and 75%, v/v were made in the collected Ganga river water sample and these dilutions were kept in refrigerator for analysis. The laboratory analysis of samples was done as per standard methods prescribed in APHA, During sampling ph and temperature were determined using digital ph meter and digital thermometer respectively. TDS was determined by electrometric method. DO was fixed on the sampling sites with magnus sulphate and alkali-iodide-azide solution for analysis and it was determined by azide modification method. Titrimetric method was used for the determination of total alkalinity (TA). EDTA titrimetric method was used for total hardness analysis (APHA, 1998) days incubation method is used to test BOD. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) measured by open reflux method. Results and Discussion The observed average value of the Ganga River water quality parameters of the present study are given in Table 1 & 2 for different percentage concentration of treated and untreated effluents in the month of January (Winter season) 2013 respectively. Temperature plays a vital role in either increasing a particular chemical factor or set of factors in water bodies. The water temperature is influenced by factors such as altitude, season, time and depth of water. The temperature of Ganga water sample was found 12.6 o C, when temperature of air was 8.7 o C.

3 Chem Sci Trans., 2014, 3(1), Table 1. Effect of different concentrations of treated tannery effluent on physicochemical properties of the Ganga River water Experimental Values * S.No Parameters Units River Treated water Effluents 5% 15% 25% 50% 75% 1 Temperature C 12.6 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2 ph Conductivity ms/cm TDS mg/l TA mg/l TH mg/l DO mg/l NA NA NA NA NA 8 COD mg/l BOD mg/l * Average of triplicate assay. NA = not analyzed Table 2. Effect of different concentrations of untreated tannery effluent on physicochemical properties of the Ganga River water Experimental values * S.No. Parameters Units Ganga Untreated water Effluents 5% 15% 25% 50% 75% 1 Temperature C 12.6 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2 ph Conductivity ms/cm TDS mg/l TA mg/l TH mg/l DO mg/l 8.5 ND NA NA NA NA NA 8 COD mg/l BOD mg/l * Average of triplicate assay. ND = not detected. NA = not analyzed The observed value of ph for Ganga water sample is 8.1, shows that Ganga water sample is alkaline in nature. Almost alkaline nature remains for different percentage dilution of Ganga water sample, not exceeding the ph value 8.5 with both treated and untreated tannery effluents. The ph was found slightly alkaline for sample of tannery waste water. Other workers also reported alkaline tannery waste water The EC of Ganga water sample was found 0.50 ms/cm. For different percentage of sample with tannery effluent, EC was found in increasing order for both treated & untreated tannery effluents. The EC were found from 1.9 ms/cm to 11.9 ms/cm for 5% to 75% treated tannery effluents modulated sample. Increase in EC values indicates the presence of higher concentration of ions. Furthermore, TA of Ganga water was found 136 mg/l. TA was found 260 mg/l to 1490 mg/l for different (treated) percentage concentration of water samples from 5% to 75%, while TA was found 280 to 1600 mg/l of 5% to 75% untreated effluent modulation for water sample. 260 mg/l is even beyond the highest desirable limit prescribed by WHO standard for drinking water.

4 76 Chem Sci Trans., 2014, 3(1), BOD, mg/l TDS, mg/l Conductivity, mskm ph COD, mg/l Total hardness, mg/l Total alkalinity, mg/l Effluent, % Effluent, % Effluent, % Figure 1. Effect of treated tannery effluent on physicochemical properties of the water Ganga River values are mean ± SD (n=3) The value of total hardness (TH) was found 340 mg/l for 15% concentration of treated effluents in Ganga River water sample, which is beyond HDL of WHO standard of drinking water. The presence of calcium, magnesium and bicarbonates in excess makes water unfit for irrigation since its application increase problem of soil salinity and its permeability detrimental to crop plants 17. Total dissolved solids for treated effluent was found mg/l while it was 370 mg/l for river water Ganga. The value of TDS increases from 370 mg/l to 1290 mg/l for 5% modulated river water sample with treated effluent. The total dissolved solids may increase salinity of water and may render it unfit for irrigation and drinking purposes. Consumption of water with high concentration TDS has been reported to cause disorder of alimentary canal, respiratory system, nervous system, coronary system, besides causing miscarriage and cancer 18. Dissolved oxygen (DO), the most important parameter of water quality was not detected in untreated tannery effluent while it was quite

5 Chem Sci Trans., 2014, 3(1), low for treated effluent sample as reported by Nanda et al. 19 and it was 8.5 mg/l for Ganga water sample. 8.5 mg/l DO value is probably due to quality restoring steps taken by Central Government for Mahakumbh Snan 2013 at Prayag Raj, Allahabad (U.P) 20. The COD value of Ganga water sample was found 36 mg/l. The COD value was 64 mg/l for 5% concentration of sample. If this percentage increases like 15%, 25%, 50% and 75% then COD value also increases 228, 427, 619 and 820 mg/l, respectively (Table 1). The high BOD levels are indications of the pollution strength of the waste water. Its value was found 650 mg/l for treated tannery waste water. From 5-15% Ganga water sample the value of BOD is mg/l (Table 1). The high BOD and Low oxygen content of tannery waste water will affect survival of gill breathing animals of the receiving water bodies 21. Conclusion The diminishing quality of water seriously delimits its use for human consumption and for aquatic life. Therefore, the continuous and periodical monitoring of water quality is necessary so that appropriate preventive and remedial measures can be undertaken. The observations revealed that, if treated effluent discharged from tannery industry increases from 5% to 15%, the present Ganga water physicochemical quality status will be beyond the HDL & MPL prescribed by WHO drinking water standard. Tanneries pollution generally accelerates to cause greater deterioration. So few years from now, serious water quality deterioration could take place, which will be serious threat to aquatic and human life. The quality situation will be horrible when untreated tannery effluents will be discharged directly in to river water. References 1. Sayeswara H A, Naik K L, Nafeesa Begum and Ashashree H M, Environ Ecology, 2011, 29(1), Trivedy R K, Khatawkar S D, Kulkarni A Y and Shastri A C, River pollution in India, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, 1990, 26, Sinha U K, Ganga Pollution and Health Hazard, Inter- India Publications, New Delhi, Trivedi Priyanka, Bajpai Amita and Thareja Sukarma, Nature Sci., 2009, 1(6), Sinha A K and Singh V P, Physicochemical studies on river Ganga and its tributaries in Uttar Pradesh the present status. In pollution and Biomonitoring of Indian Rivers (Ed.) Dr.R.K.Trivedi. ABD Publishers, Jaipur, 2000, Khare Richa, Khare Smriti, Kamboj Monika and Pandey Jaya, Asian J Biochem Pharm Res., 2011, 1(2), Tare Vinod, Yadav Ajay Veer Singh and Bose Purnendu. Water Res., 2003, 37(1), 67-77; DOI: /S (01) Yadav R C and Srivastav V C, Indian J Sci Res., 2011, 2(4), United Nations Industrial Development Organization, (UNIDO) Cost of Tanned Waste Treatment, 15 th Session of the Leather and Leather Products Industry Panel Leon, 2005, Mexico. 10. Sahu R K, Katiyar S, Yadav A K, Kumar N and Srivastava, J Toxicity Assessment of Industrial Effluent by Bioassays Clean Soil, Air, Water, 2008, 36, Uberai N K, Environmental Management Excel Books, New Delhi, 2003, Nandy T, Kaul S N, Shastry S, Manivel W and Deshpande C V, J Sci Ind Res., 1999, 58,

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