Abstract
The objective of this study was the sediment quality assessment of Ganga River at Kanpur city where effluents from tannery industries are discharged. Sediment samples from upstream and downstream area were collected and analyzed for trace metals and toxicity bioassay. Among various trace metals examined Cr in downstream sediment was 30-fold higher than in upstream sediment and its concentration was above the probable effect level. In general trace metals in the downstream sediment were found higher compared to reported earlier. Seed germination bioassay revealed negligible effect on the growth of root but the shoot growth was stunted in seeds exposed to downstream sediments. Trace metals determined in sediment elutriate showed poor elution of metals in aqueous phase but elutriates exerted toxic effects on both root and shoot growth, suggesting presence of other bioavailable toxic factor associated with sediment. The study revealed that seed germination bioassay may be used to differentiate contaminated and uncontaminated sediment.
Highlights
The tannery industry mushrooming in North India has converted the Ganga River into a dumping ground
The Leather-tanning sector is included in the Red category of industries due to the potential adverse environmental impact caused by tannery wastes
The present study revealed that the Ganga River gets seriously polluted by the discharges from tannery industries clustered on the bank of river in Kanpur
Summary
The tannery industry mushrooming in North India has converted the Ganga River into a dumping ground. The tanning industry discharges different types of waste into the environment, primarily in the form of liquid effluents containing organic matters, chromium, sulphide ammonium and other salts. The Government of India (GOI) has numerous laws in place that affect the leather industry. The tanneries have built numerous Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) to treat the toxic wastewater from tanneries. Despite this initiative, many of the pollution problems are still unresolved. The majority of chemicals discharged into aquatic system eventually end up in sediments that may act as a sink of pollution as well as a source of pollution. Study of sediment helps in the understanding of pollution effect as the residence time of pollutants in sediment of impacted area is long
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