Qualitative and Comparative Assessment of Pharmaceutical Industry Effluents in Selaqui Region

Abstract

AbstractDuring the past few decades, pharmaceutical industries have registered a quantum jump contributing to high economic growth, but on the other hand, it has led to high environmental pollution. The discharge of untreated or partially treated effluents leads to contamination of surface water, groundwater, and other environmental resources. It can lead to many water-borne diseases and also affects the agricultural field as it contains deviated levels of pH, Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). In this study, effluent samples were collected from three different pharmaceutical industries located at Pharma City, Selaqui in Dehradun. The various physicochemical parameters analysed were pH, Conductivity, Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand, and Chemical Oxygen Demand. The pH, BOD, COD, and Conductivity of the effluents were reported as (8.51 ± 0.08, 8.29 ± 0.06, and 6.81 ± 0.03); (45.3 mg/l, 51.86 mg/l, and 48.39 mg/l); (172.34 mg/l, 185.67 mg/l, and 176.42 mg/l); and (68.4 ± 1.91 µS/cm, 116.3 ± 1.17 µS/cm, and 87.76 ± 0.60 µS/cm), respectively. The observed pH and COD values were under the standard norms given by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for effluent discharge into surface water whereas BOD values were observed slightly above the standard provided for effluent discharge into surface water. The results of the physicochemical parameters were also compared with the previous study and were found below the values obtained by previous studies.KeywordsPharmaceutical industryPhysicochemical parametersCentral Pollution Control Board (CPCB)Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)