Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ANALYSIS OF QUALITY OF WELL WATER SITUATED NEAR A PAPER MILL INDUSTRY

Pallipalayam K. Subramania, Kuzhandaivel Hemalatha and Khaja Kamaludeen

Abstract

The people in some of the villages like Aayakattur, Odapalli, Paapampalayam, Vilankattur etc of Tiruchengode taluk, Tamilnadu, India, were using well water for drinking, cooking, cattle feeding and agricultural purposes since time immemorial. From 1984 onwards paper mill effluent water was led into agricultural lands of gullible farmers. Because of this the well water near the effluent irrigated lands become slowly unpalatable. So the investigation was undertaken to determine the various physical and chemical parameters of different well waters. Drinking water quality of ground water was sampled from 9 different areas. Physicochemical parameters like pH, EC, TDS, Total hardness, alkalinity, chloride, sulphate, nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, ammonia, phosphate, sodium and potassium were studied. Among the samples the effluent water was brownish in colour with unpleasant odour, high turbidity and nauseating. Total dissolved solids for open well water is very high consequently EC was also high. The total hardness, total alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, chloride and sodium content of all the water samples were above the permissible range except tap water. The content of ammonia was within the acceptable limit except the effluent water. The content of iron was above the permissible limit in S3, S5, A and C. The concentration of nitrate, nitrite and fluoride was within the permissible limit.