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Impact of Heavy Metals on Water and Soil Environment of a Paint Industry

Y. N. JOLLY
Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre, P.O. Box 164, 4 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka-1000, Bangkadesh

A. HOSSAIN
Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh

A. SATTAR
aChemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre, P.O. Box 164, 4 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka-1000, Bangkadesh

A. ISLAM
Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre, P.O. Box 164, 4 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka-1000, Bangkadesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A study on the heavy metal impact of a paint industry effluent on the surrounding water and soil environment was carried out. This investigation included a variety of sample types essentially related to the impact assessment. The effluent samples collected from Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd., Savar, were found to contain K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn and Sr with the mean concentrations of 9.78, 221, 0.027, 0.031, 0.067 and 0.29 mg L^-1, and values of pH, EC, TDS, TSS, BOD and COD measured in those samples were 5.8, 1.28 mS cm^-1, 1084 mgL^-1, 66 mg L^-1 and 101 mg L^-1, respectively. The mean concentrations of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn and Sr in groundwater samples and the values of pH, EC, TDS, TSS found in those samples were 1.58, 16.27, 0.25, 0.013, 0.058 and 0.14 mg L^-1 and 7.2, 0.17 mS cm^-1, 145 mg L^-1, and 10 mg L^-1, respectively. The effluent receiving pond water showed the presence of K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Br, and Sr with the average concentrations of 3.37, 23, 0.32, 0.37, 0.03 and 0.11 mg L^-1, respectively. The respective concentrations of elements-K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb and Sr detected in aquatic plant (Halenchi shak) growing on effluent receiving pond water were 46400, 4846, 148, 174, 12.7, 62, 37, 124 and 23 mg kg^-1. The mean contents of K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb and Sr in samples of paint industry-adjacent agricultural land soil were 10128, 8131,5260, 642, 24025, 56, 84, 135 and 138 mg kg^-1, respectively. The mean concentrations of elements in pond water (K: 2.49, Ca: 15.2, Fe:0.19, Zn: 0.24, Br: 0.03 and Sr: 0.11 mgL^-1), Halenchi shak (K: 42259, Ca: <1837, Mn: <58, Fe: 163, Cu: <14, Zn: 47, Br: 20, Rb: 68 and Sr: 16 mg kg^-1) and soil samples (K: <5491, Ca: <3300, Ti: 5034, Mn: 514, Fe: 34660, Cu: 58, Zn: 65, Rb: 135 and Sr: 38 mg kg^-1) collected from a pollution free non-industrial zone indicated lower levels for the same parameters than those in corresponding above mentioned effluent-polluted samples.

Keywords: Elemental levels, Paint industry, effluent, Surrounding environment, Pond water, Aquatic plant.

Location: Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd. Savar, Dhaka

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Heavy metal

Objectives:

The present work aims at studying the elemental levels in a paint industry effluent and their impact on the surrounding environmental components like effluent receiving pond water, the aquatic plant available on the effluent receiving pond and the effluent-affected agricultural land soil.

Methodology:

Sample collection Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd. located at Savar, Dhaka was selected for collection of effluent which, before disposal into the environment, undergoes treatment by neutralization process using lime and alum to facilitate the coagulation of suspended matter. The supernatant from the settling tank is subject to secondary treatment for subsequent settlement by aeration. The unused biomass is taken to the sludge drying beds and the liquid effluent is discharged into the environment. In order to study the effect of paint industry effluent on the environment, the samples including pond water into which effluent from the paint industry is directly discharged, groundwater used for washing paint waste, an aquatic plant (locally known as Halenchi shak) available on the effluent receiving pond and surface soil from paint industry adjacent agricultural land were collected. The samples of pond water, Halechi shak and the agricultural soil were also collected from a pollution free non-industrial zone far away from the paint industry under the present investigation. The liquid samples were collected in detergent-washed 1L fresh polyethylene bottles and acidified (5 ml per litre) with analar grade pure HNO₃ just after collection. The effluent samples for BOD and COD determination were separately collected and not acidified. The electrical conductivity (EC) and pH of liquid samples were measured in the field before they were acidified. The solid samples were collected in fresh polyethylene bags. Each category of samples was collected by five folds. The samples were brought to the laboratory and preserved in a refrigerator until they were further processed. Sample preparation Liquid samples The samples including paint industry effluent, pond water and groundwater were filtered using Whatman 41 filter paper to remove any suspended solid particles. For heavy metal analysis using TXRF technique, 10 ml of each type of sample taken in a plastic vial was further acidified with 0.5 ml analar grade HNO₃ and kept under action for 16 hours for complete dissolution of inorganic salt contained in smaller solid particles that might be present in the sample even after filtration. Then 3 ml of the each type of sample was internally standardized with 6 µl of commercially available standard yttrium solution (E. Merck, Germany). Solid Samples Soil The samples were dried at 60°C in an oven overnight for complete removal of moisture, ground to fine power in an agate mortar with a pestle and preserved in polyethylene bags in a desiccator until analysis. Aquatic plant (Halenchi shak) The plant samples were first thoroughly washed with tap water and finally with deionized water and then dried in an oven at 60°C until constant weight was obtained. The dried samples were finally ground in a carbide mortar with a pestle and preserved in polyethylene bags in a desiccator until analysis. Methods of analysis Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) and Isotopic Source-Excited Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) techniques were used for elemental analysis in liquid matrix3-4 and solid matrix, respectively. For TXRF analysis a suitable volume of processed sample was standardized with an internal standard, yittrium (Y). The sample (6 µl) was placed on an ultra-clean quartz reflector using an adjustable micro-pipette and dried under IR lamp at about 50°C for an hour and irradiated with totally reflected X-ray beam for 1000s for excitation of characteristic X-rays. In XRF analysis, 100.0 mg powdered solid sample in the form of 1 cm diameter pellet was irradiated with Cd-109 radioisotope source for 4000s. In both methods the characteristic X-rays of the elements were detected by a Canberra 30 mm2 Si(Li) detector (model SL 80175) with energy resolution of 170 eV at 5.9keV. The X-ray spectra were collected on a Canberra Series 35 multi-channel analyzer (model 3210). The data processing and evaluation of X-ray spectra were carried out using a software programme called Analysis of X-ray Spectra by Iterative Least Square Fitting or AXIL5. The other parameters including BOD, COD, soluble N and P in liquid samples were measured by adopting the standard methods. Concentration calibration For TXRF analysis of liquid samples, a calibration curve was constructed based on the Xray irradiation of triplicate multi-element standards prepared by mixing commercially available single element standards (E. Merck). The detailed calibration procedure is described elsewhere. For XRF analysis of solid samples, the calibration curves were constructed based on reference materials namely soil-7 (IAEA CRM) for soil analysis and orchard leaf (NBS, SRM1571) for plant matrix analysis.

Source of Information: Journal of Bangladesh Chemical Society, Vol. 25(2), 159-165, 2012

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Funding Source:

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Achievement/Findings:

The paint industry effluent in terms of the elemental concentrations investigated did not seem to be so potential in polluting the environment. The heavy metal levels of the paint effluent-receiving pond water were found to be little higher than those in the samples collected from the pond having no linkage with any industry. The aquatic plant (Halenchi shak) collected from effluent receiving pond showed little higher elemental levels than the same variety of plant from non-polluted pond. In case of agricultural soil the concentrations of heavy metals in polluted soil were found little higher than those in unpolluted soil but still within with the normal. In view of the overall results obtained for heavy metals contents of the samples from the paint industry’s environment and the non-industrial area the paint industry effluent did not seem to pose any serious threat to the environment.

Knowledge Management: Journal