Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF FISH PROCESSING INDUSTRY EFFLUENT DISCHARGE INTO VERAVAL HARBOR WATERS, GUJARAT, INDIA

D. T. Vaghela, P. K. Krishnakumar and Shabir Ahmad Dar

Abstract

Veraval has increased contaminants in fish waste volume, which have ultimately resulted in environmental problems. There are around 50 industries actively engaged in fish processing in GIDC and harbour area of Veraval. There is common effluent treatment plant (CEPT) of capacity 5.0 MLD at Veraval to provide primary, secondary and tertiary treatment to waste water generated by fish processing industries. The fish processing industry effluent samples from discharge point of common effluent treatment plant were collected and assessed for physico-chemical characteristics. The effluent temperature ranged from 27.7 to 30.1oC. The pH of the effluent was slight alkaline. The TSS ranged from 96 to 105 mg L-1, where as TDS varied from 12750 to 13128 mg L-1. Do was not recorded in the effluent sample, while BOD was very high and range from 90 to 105 mg L-1. COD ranged from 100 to 250 mg L-1. Chloride concentration in effluent was high and it ranged from 8000 to 10,000 mg L-1. The concentration of NO3-N was very high and it ranged from 28.5 to 30.5 mg L-1, where as NH4–N was also high in effluent and it ranged from 11.4 to 13.4 mg L-1. The concentration of inorganic phosphorous in the effluent varied from 10 to 16.5 mg L-1. Metals like Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb were not detected in the effluent samples. Fish processing industry effluent was neutral in nature and contained high concentration of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and chloride. The high concentration of Chloride in effluent is due to use of chlorinated fresh water for washing the fish products. The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was absent in this effluent. As a result, that fish processing effluent was anaerobic. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) were high in the effluent. The effluent was rich in ammonical nitrogen and phosphate. Overall, the fish processing industry effluent was eutrophic in nature.