Assessment of Physico-Chemical Properties of Tannery Waste Water and Its Impact on Fresh Water Quality

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of tannery waste water of Kanpur and Unnao area and its impact on the fresh water quality. The result revealed that 10.05 and 9.15 for pH, 14.89 and 11.43 for EC, 16500 and 9500 for TDS, 1290 and 1160 for total hardness, 1456 and 1434 for alkalinity and 3124 and 1160 for chloride, DO absent, 1248 and 896 for BOD, 3154 and 2857 for COD and 68.01 and 38.60 for total Cr in tannery waste water samples of both sites respectively. Whereas rise in all parameters was observed on an addition of different concentrations of tannery waste water in fresh water, the data shows a significant increase in pH 10.15 ± 1.03, EC 3.73 ±0.02, TDS 5806.33 ±1.85, TH 1219.33±2.96, TA 986.00 ±4.63, Cl 1232.66 ±1.78, BOD 58.64 ±1.16, COD 424.33 ±1.20 of Site 1 with 20% TWW in fresh water. The increase in the physico-chemical properties of fresh water clearly indicates that it may be toxic to the nearby aquatic environment and advance corrective measures to be taken before any damage.