Analysis of nutrient loads, heavy metals and physicochemical properties of wastewater, wetland grass, and papaya samples: Gondar Malt factory, Ethiopia with global implication

Abstract

Robust attention was brought to researchers due to deterioration of wastewater quality of lakes and reservoirs as major global concerns by industrial release. The uncontrolled releases of effluents impose serious impacts for both aquatic and terrestrial environments. In the current study, many parameters like nutrient loads, heavy metals and physicochemical properties of wastewater, wetland grass, and papaya samples were analysed. The investigated nutrients, alkalinity, and total hardness in fresh water samples were within the allowable limits except for phosphate in fresh wastewater and alkalinity in wastewater. The detected levels of heavy metals (mg/L) in wastewater samples were:- Cd (0.386–0.905), Cr (ND-0.074), Cu (0.064–0.096), Mn (0.184–1.528), Fe (0.167–4.636), Zn (0.175–0.333), and Pb (0.044–0.892) (mg/L). The studied metals in the wastewater sample, except Cd, Fe, and Pb were lower than the allowable limit. The level of heavy metals in the grass and papaya samples ranged from Cd (37.14–147.62), Cr (ND-8.82), Cu (3.14–8.33), Mn (2.89–85.46), Fe(5.0–65.15), Zn (3.44–36.84), and Pb (ND-60.36) (mg/kg). The detected metals were below the permissible limits, except Cd, Cr, and Pb. The findings of the physicochemical characteristics in wastewater samples were computed: pH (6.61–8.54), temperatures (21.63–26.57 °C), TDS (205.9–1896 mg/L), EC (359.9–3226.67 μs/cm), BOD (12.0–732.67 mg/L), COD (3.67–1691.33 mg/L). Except for temperature and pH, all levels in the wastewater were above the recommended limit for wastewater discharge by USEPA.