Susceptibility of Some Selected Nitte Municipal Wastewater Sources to Trace Metals Pollution

Samson O. Ojoawo, Gaddale Udayakumar

Department of Civil Engineering, NMAM Institute of Technology, Udupi, India.

DOI: 10.4236/cweee.2014.33010                

Abstract

The negative impacts of pollution due to trace metals in wastewater on aquatic ecosystem and related organisms in water bodies are on the increase. This paper deals with the investigation on the pollution indices of trace metals in selected wastewater samples of Nitte Town, Udupi District, Karnataka State, India. Twelve wastewater samples were obtained from Students Hostels, Auto-Service Workshop Station, Foundry, Laundry, Landfill Leachate and Wastewater Treatment Plant Inlet. The measured heavy metals in the samples include: Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Magnesium (Mg), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn) and Cadmium (Cd), using the air-acetylene-operated Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (FAAS), Avanta GM model. The results were all compared with the EPA Effluent Standards. Findings revealed that all samples recorded dwindling levels of trace metals pollution when compared with the Standards. The heaviest concentration occurred in Cd with as high as 1856.4 ppm as found in the Stale Landfill Leachate sample, while the least contaminating metal in the samples is Manganese which was detected in only Aerated Wastewater Treatment Plant sample (2.3 ppm). This study is therefore recommending Electro-coagulation treatment method for trace metals with high concentration levels like Cd, Pb, Mg and Cu, while those with lesser concentration such as Mn, Cr, Ni and Zn in the samples are suggested to be treated with chemical precipitation method.

Keywords

Trace Metals, Municipal Wastewater, Pollution, Nitte

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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