Pollution due to Textile Industries along Dombivali Industrial Belt of Mumbai, India

The paper deals with monitoring of pollution arising due to textile based industries located along the Dombivali industrial belt of Mumbai, India. The study was carried for the period of one year from June, 2012 to May, 2013 to study the level of toxic heavy metals and the physico-chemical properties of waste water effluents discharged from the above industries. The concentration level of majority of toxic heavy metals like Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were reported to be maximum of 45.58, 2.00, 2.06 and 9.20 ppm respectively in the month of April, while Cr and Fe concentration levels were found to be 2.50 and 55.30 ppm in the month of March. The effluent samples collected in the month of July was reported to show high BOD content of 564 ppm, while COD content was maximum of 2436 ppm in the month of October. The effluent samples collected in the month of January was having very low DO content of 3.21 ppm and high cyanide content of 0.09 ppm. The alkalinity, hardness and chloride content were maximum of 2158, 198 and 2765 ppm respectively in the effluent samples collected in the month of February. The effluents were having high total solid content of 8269 ppm during the month of April, while the salinity and phosphate contents were reported high of 5.64 and 125.70 ppm during the month of May. It was observed that the concentration level of majority of toxic heavy metals and the values of various physico-chemical parameters were above the tolerable limit set for inland surface water. The present experimental data on environmental risk assessment studies due to textile industries may be regarded as an aid towards a better understanding of the problem arising due to such industries. There is a need to convey the message that prevention of adverse health effects and promotion of health are profitable investments for employers and employees as a support to a sustainable development of economics.