Impact of Industrial Effluent on the Physicoc...

Impact of Industrial Effluent on the Physicochemical Properties and Influence of Microalgae in A Lotic Water Body From Cuddalore District Area

Author Name : R. Arulprakasam, K. Sivakumar

ABSTRACT

The physicochemical qualities of a industrial effluent water and sediment of an effluent receiving water body from Cuddalore Sipcot Industry were investigated. The treated effluent contained very high concentrations of phenol (11.06 mg/l),  ammonia (8.52 mg/l), COD (91.76 mg/l), TDS (390.6 mg/l) and phosphate (6.2 mg/l), but low in sulphide, lead and copper, which were undetectable. High concentrations of phenol (5.13–16.38 mg/l), and ammonia (4.31–13.17 mg/l) were observed in water and sediment samples respectively, at the point of effluent impact. A high concentration of sulphide (3.74 mg/l) was accumulated in the sediment at the point of impact of the Sipcot effluent, though it was undetectable in the effluent itself or water sample. The concentrations of these parameters as well as of phosphate, nitrate, zinc and COD declined progressively with distance from the point of impact but were still significantly higher than in control water and sediment in samples 3 km downstream from the point of impact. Higher concentrations of the pollutants were recorded in the dry season than rainy season except for phosphate and nitrate, which showed the reverse trend. lead and copper, were neither detected in the effluent nor impacted water body.

Keywords. physicochemical properties, effluent, sediment, microalgae, seasonal changes