Abstract
Appropriate effluent treatment processes are expected to significantly reduce the toxicity of effluents before they are released to the natural environment. The present study was aimed to assess the spatial and temporal variations of the physical and chemical water quality parameters of a natural water body receiving treated textile effluents and to assess the chromosomal abnormalities induced by the treated textile effluents. Four sampling sites (A: effluent discharge point; B: 100 m downstream from site A along the tributary; C: 200 m downstream from site A along the tributary; D: 100 m upstream from site A along the tributary) were selected associated to a tributary that received treated textile effluent. The physical and chemical water quality parameters were measured in the composite water samples collected from the study sites, and Allium cepa bioassay was conducted using aged tap water as the control. Sampling was conducted in both rainy and dry seasons. The conductivity, TDS, COD, and colour intensity of the water samples collected from the study sites were significantly higher during the dry season compared to those in the rainy season. Allium cepa root meristematic cells exposed to water samples from sites A, B, and C showed a significantly high interphase and prophase indices compared to those exposed to aged tap water and upstream site during both rainy and dry seasons. The mitotic index of the root tip cells of Allium cepa bulbs exposed to the water samples collected from the effluent discharge point (site A) and from the 100 m downstream site from site A (site B) was significantly lower than that of the other sites in both rainy and dry seasons. However, the mitotic index of the root tip cells of Allium cepa bulbs exposed to the water samples from the upstream site was not significantly different from that of the control treatment during both sampling seasons. The bioassay indicated that the mitotic index and phase index of the root meristematic cells of Allium cepa can be affected by the treated textile effluents released to the water body and the occurrence of C metaphase, chromosomal adherence, bridges, disturbed anaphase, vagrant chromosomes, and chromosomal breaks indicated that the treated textile effluent receiving tributary can possibly contain genotoxic and mutagenic compounds which can induce chromosomal abnormalities.
Highlights
Textile industry is a highly water consuming industry and produces large amount of wastewater [1]
Release of textile industry wastewater into the natural aquatic environment can induce environmental pollution and result in health risks to humans and other organisms. erefore, treatment of textile wastewater to remove the high levels of suspended solids, dyes, salts, nonbiodegradable organic compounds and heavy metals is identified as a sustainable option to reduce pollution of the natural aquatic systems [2, 3]. e physical and chemical parameters of the treated textile effluents are monitored before releasing them to the natural environment to assure that they comply with the textile effluent discharge standards [4]
E temperature, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, biochemical oxygen demand 5 days after incubation (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammoniacal nitrogen, Cu concentration, Zn concentration, and the colour intensities at the effluent discharge point were significantly higher than those at the other sites in both rainy and dry seasons (ANOVA, Tukey’s test. p < 0.05). All these water quality parameters showed a similar pattern of variation among the study sites with the highest concentration at the effluent discharge point and the lowest concentration in the site 100 m upstream from the effluent discharge point. e variation of the above water quality parameters showed the pattern of site A > site B > site C > site D in both seasons
Summary
Textile industry is a highly water consuming industry and produces large amount of wastewater [1]. E physical and chemical parameters of the treated textile effluents are monitored before releasing them to the natural environment to assure that they comply with the textile effluent discharge standards [4]. Is monitoring can be conducted by measuring the Journal of Toxicology physical and chemical water quality parameters of the released environment over a certain period of time or along a spatial gradient from the discharge point [5, 8]. E present study was conducted with the objective of assessing the chromosomal abnormalities in the Allium cepa root tip cells exposed to the treated textile effluents released to the natural aquatic environment. Is study would provide valuable information about the presence of genotoxic and/or mutagenic substances in the treated textile effluents which can induce genetic abnormalities in the biological organisms in the effluent receiving environment E present study was conducted with the objective of assessing the chromosomal abnormalities in the Allium cepa root tip cells exposed to the treated textile effluents released to the natural aquatic environment. is study would provide valuable information about the presence of genotoxic and/or mutagenic substances in the treated textile effluents which can induce genetic abnormalities in the biological organisms in the effluent receiving environment
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