The increasing population has resulted in increased demand for commodities, resulting in rapid industrialization. As a result, the expansion in industrial setups has resulted in an increase in industrial waste output. These industrial wastes wreak havoc on the ecosystem by polluting the water, air, and land.
The type of industry determines the quality and quantity of wastewater produced: it might contain non-biodegradable waste such as heavy metals, pesticides, plastic, and so on, as well as biodegradable compounds such as paper, leather, wool, and so on. Toxic, reactive, carcinogenic, or ignitable industrial wastewater also exists. As a result, dumping waste into bodies of water can have disastrous environmental and health consequences, if not properly treated and managed.
Is effluent harmful? If yes, how?
Improper management of some hazardous industrial wastes released into water bodies, has directly or indirectly caused detrimental impacts on all types of biological forms.
Firstly, heavy metals are a major source of chronic and non-biodegradable water pollution. Toxic heavy metals ingested by aquatic wildlife can cause health problems in other species and, eventually, people via the food chain.
They have the potential to be teratogenic and carcinogenic, as well as to induce oxidative stress, organ damage, nervous system impairments, and impaired growth and development.
Secondly, phenolic compounds are another common chemical pollution generated by industry. They are hazardous because they hinder normal microbial function, disrupting biological treatment processes. They can also produce reflex loss, sweating, hypothermia, cyanosis, reduced respiration, and respiratory failure.
Thirdly, tannins, resins, and chlorinated organic compounds, which are key constituents of paper and pulp effluent, can cause genotoxicity and mutagenicity. Lignin and its derivatives are the most prevalent effluents from the paper pulp industry. They are poorly degradable and may change into hazardous chemicals during biological treatment, affecting the hormonal balance of aquatic creatures.
Harmful effects of industrial effluent
This deterioration can lead to:
1- Lower amounts of dissolved oxygen
Low amounts of dissolved oxygen affect the life of marine living species by increasing their vulnerability to illnesses, slowed growth, impaired swimming capacity, changes in feeding and migration, and eventually quick mortality.
2- Physical alterations
Untreated effluents can cause physical changes in the receiving water bodies. All aquatic living creatures have certain temperature adaptations and tolerance limits. Any change in the average temperature of a body of water can have an impact on the environment.
3- Aquatic life bioaccumulation
Certain compounds that are in low concentrations or scarcely detectable in water, can often be detected in great amounts in plant and animal tissues.
4- Enhanced nutrient loads
This causes algae clumps, odour, water discoloration, extensive growth of rooted aquatic life, excessive oxygen deprivation, and other problems.
5- Groundwater deterioration
Furthermore, when wastewater is released, it frequently leaches into the soil, reducing the quality of groundwater.
6- Health Issues
There are various microbial pathogens in effluents that can cause water-borne chronic diseases, with long-term consequences, such as degenerative heart disease, stomach ulcer, diarrhoea, skin and tissue infection, dysentery, typhoid, intestinal problems, gastroenteritis, and so on.
Conclusion
Industrial effluents are liquid wastes generated during industrial operations. In India, significant industrial expansion has resulted in a serious problem with waste disposal, generated by these sectors over the last two decades. It is a major source of natural water pollution because the majority of it is released into surrounding river sources.
This increases the pressure on wastewater management and can eventually lead to a point source pollution problem, which not only increases the level of pollution but also poses major health risks.
How can we assist?
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Our innovative effluent treatment, and wastewater treatment method uses fewer chemicals, uses less energy, and produces water that meets the most recent pollutant disposal regulations, and process reuse application criteria. Because, of our extensive experience with ETP projects in the past, we have been named one of the best ETP providers in India.