Effluent Quality Parameters

WATER QUALITY STANDARD

In the year 1976 the Environmental Control

Pollution Board set up preliminary and national
committee for formulating water quality standard
in Bangladesh with a view to the conservation and
enhancement of the overall environment.
The committee had render concerned effort
towards framing the national water quality
standard.
The broad classes are as follows

Drinking water
Fishing water
Irrigation water
Industrial effluent

Standard o for Irrigation Water

Parameter

Units

Standard for
Bangladesh

FAO
Standard

Boron

mg/l

2 not less than 1

< 0.7

Cadmium

mg/l

0.01

--

Arsenic
Chloride

mg/l
mg/l

1.0
600

-142

Coliforms
(faecal)
Coliforms (Total)

CFU/100
ml
CFU /100
ml
mhoS/cm.

10

--

1000

--

750
6.8-8.5

-6.8-8.5

E.C
pH

8-16

SAR(Sodium

Absorption
Ratio )
TDS

mg/l

2000

< 450

STANDARD FOR INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS

Parameter

Standard Value

pH
Colour
Taste and smell

6.5-9.2
Clear
Without having any disturbing taste & smell

Temperature
Total Suspended Solid (TSS)
Total Dissolved Solid (TDS)
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
Ammonia
Chloride
Phosphate
Hydrogen Sulphide
Carbon dioxide
Oils and grease
Arsenic
Chromium
Copper
Cadmium
Zinc
Lead
Mercury
Iron
Cyanide
Fluoride
Phenolic compounds
Nickel
Sulphate
Sulphides
Selenium
Percent Na
Boron

40-45 C
30-150 mg/L
200-1000 mg/L
20-50 mg/ L
280 mg/L
3-5 mg/L
20-600 mg/I
30 mg/L
0.2-1.0 mg/L
2-3 mg/I
8-10 mg/L
0.05 mg/L
0.05 mg/I
0. 1 mg/L
0.01 mg/L
0.1 mg/L
0.025 mg/L
0.01 mg/L
0.3 mg/L
0.2 mg/L
1.0 mg/ L
0. 1 mg/L
3 mg/L
1000 mg/L
2 mg/L
0.05 mg/L
60% mg/L
2 mg/L

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) : Total
dissolved solids contents of water and waste
water is defined as the residue left upon
evaporation at 103C to 105C.
It is an aggregated amount of the entire
floating, suspended, settable and dissolved
solids present in the water sample.
Analysis:
It
can
be
determined
by
conventional method and also by using a
digital TDS meter.
Standard: The DoE standard for industrial
effluent is 2100 mg/L for discharge into surface
water.

pH

pH : pH is a term used universally to express

the intensity of the acidic or alkaline condition
of solution.
It is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration or
more precisely the hydrogen ion activity.
It is defined as the " logarithm (base 10) of the
reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration
Analysis: It can be determined by digital pH
meter or by using pH paper.
Standard: The standard set by DoE is 6.5-8.5
for discharge into surface water

Electrical Conductivity (EC)

Electrical Conductivity (EC):

Electrical
conductivity is a measure of water capacity to
convey electric current.
Electrical conductivity of water and wastewater
are directly proportional to its dissolved matter
content (dissolved gases also contribute). The
unit of conductivity is S/cm or mhoS/cm.
Analysis: It can be determined by digital EC
meter.
Standard: The standard set by DoE is 750
mhoS/cm for discharge into surface water use
for irrigation.

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Dissolved Oxygen (DO): Dissolved oxygen

shows the ability of the stream to purify itself
through biochemical process.
Oxygen is dissolved in most waters in varying
concentrations.
Solubility of oxygen depends on temperature,
pressure and salinity of water. It is essential to life
of fish and other aquatic organisms.
Analysis: It can be determined by digital DO meter
or by conventional trite-metric method.
Standard: The standard set by DoE is 4.5-8 mg/L
for discharge into surface water.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

(BOD)

Biochemical
Oxygen
Demand
(BOD):
Biochemical oxygen demand tests show the
amount of molecular oxygen required by bacteria to
reduce
the
carbonaceous
materials
and
transformation of organic matter under aerobic
conditions.
The determination of DO of a sample before and
after five days incubation at 20C is the basic of
BOD determination.
Analysis: It can be determined by Winklers method
of 5 day BOD test.
Standard: The standard set by DoE is <50 mg/L for
discharge into surface water.

COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)

COD test shows the oxygen equivalent of the

organic matter that can be oxidized by using a
strong oxidizing agents e.g. potassium dichromate
in acidic solution, at elevated temperature, for two
and half hour.
It has to be classified that COD is not a measure of
the carbon content. It indicates the amount of
oxygen required to oxidize the carbonaceous
matter.
Analysis: It can be determined by closed/open
refluxed trite-metric method.
Standard: The standard set by DoE is <200 mg/L
for discharge into surface water.

Some important heavy metals released by

different industries
TYPES OF INDUSTRY

HEAVY METALS

Chemical industry

Hg, Cd, Pb

Textile industry

Pb, Cr, Hg, Cd

Jute industry

Cr, Cd, Pb

Petroleum refining

Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn.

Power station

Pd, Fe

Pulp and paper industry

Hg, Fe

Ship yard

Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd, Co

Cable factory

etc.
Cu

Tannery

Cr

Batteries

Pb, Cd, Hg, Zn

Pharmaceutical industries

As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr.

Plastic industry

Cd, Pb

Boat and barge building and repairing

Fe, Zn, Cu, Pd, etc.

Printing

Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn

Soap factory

Cd, Pb

Ink factory

Cd, Pb

Toxic responses of heavy metals to Human

Metals

Toxic responses

Lead (Pb)

Anemia and disruption of hemoglobin synthesis,

damage to nervous system and kidneys, brain
damage. In mild cases insomnia, restlessness, loss
of appetite and gastrointestinal problems

Cadmium
(Cd)

Disorders of respiratory system, kidneys and

lungs; cadmium salts consumption causes cramps,
nausea, vomiting

Chromium
(Cr)

Occupational hazard of Cr+6 cause skin and

respiratory disorders, ulceration of skin, inhaled
Cr+6 can cause cancer of respiratory tract.

Nickel (Ni)

Some of the immediate symptoms included

headache, nusea, weakness, dizziness, vomiting,
and epigastric pain. Sweating, shortness of breath,
coughing, muscle pains, fatigue, gastrointestinal
discomfort, and in sever cases, some convulsion,
delirium and lungs damage.