Influence of Sugar Mill Effluent on Germination and Growth …
275
3 Results and Discussion
The Physico-chemical analysis of sugar mill effluent is given in Table 1. Some
of the parameters of the effluent were found to exceed by the TNSPCB given
standard towards irrigated water. The analyses of sugar mill effluent showed that
it is acidic with a white color. It showed a high value of Biological Oxygen
Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The presence of considerable amounts of calcium, chloride, and sulfate, were also observed in the effluent
(Lakshmi and Sundaramoorthy 2001; Ayyasamy et al. 2008; Rath et al. 2010, Sajani
and Muthukkaruppan 2011, Sarala Thambavani and Sabitha 2012; Hussain et al.
2013; Saurabh and Shailja 2014; Elayaraj 2014). The pollution load of the effluent
depends upon the nature of raw materials, chemicals used, the processes involved in
the factory, and also the methods of treatments given to the effluent before they are
discharged from the factory.
The pH was comparatively low due to the use of phosphoric acid and sulfur
dioxide during the clarification of sugar cane juice (Manivasakam 1987; Palharyal
et al. 1993). The pH is an important factor in the formation of algal blooms that
Table 1 Physico-chemical characteristics of sugar industry effluent
Parameters Effluent Different concentration (%)
TNPCB
(2009)
10
25
50
75
100
Control
Temperature
(°C)
28.2
28.5
22.8
22.8
28.8
28.1
28.2
40
Colour
Brownish Yellowish Brown
Brown Brown Brown –
Colourless
pH
6.5
7.2
7.37
7.43
7.55
7.72
6.99 6.5–8.5
EC (mS)
2.21
1.63
1.86
2.17
2.48
3.26
1.56 –
TS (mg/L)
3900
2000
2300
2500
2800
3800
2000
2100
TDS (mg/L) 2700
1000
1000
3000
2000
3000
1000
200
TSS(mg/L) 1200
1000
13000
500
800
800
1000
200
Chloride
(mg/L)
325
280
300
310
310
320
260
200
Hardness
(mg/L)
380
260
340
350
355
375
180
600
Ca (mg/L)
160
160
180
200
200
220
130
–
Mg (mg/L)
120
100
160
150
155
150
50
–
Alkalinity
(mg/L)
200
75
125
200
375
550
100
–
PO 4 (mg/L)
28
18
20.6
22.5
24
26
12.5
10
COD
(mg/L)
780
320
420
480
580
620
180
250
DO(mg/L)
4.52
3.24
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.7
1.21 –
BOD
(mg/L)
450
180
220
240
280
380
80
30
275
3 Results and Discussion
The Physico-chemical analysis of sugar mill effluent is given in Table 1. Some
of the parameters of the effluent were found to exceed by the TNSPCB given
standard towards irrigated water. The analyses of sugar mill effluent showed that
it is acidic with a white color. It showed a high value of Biological Oxygen
Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The presence of considerable amounts of calcium, chloride, and sulfate, were also observed in the effluent
(Lakshmi and Sundaramoorthy 2001; Ayyasamy et al. 2008; Rath et al. 2010, Sajani
and Muthukkaruppan 2011, Sarala Thambavani and Sabitha 2012; Hussain et al.
2013; Saurabh and Shailja 2014; Elayaraj 2014). The pollution load of the effluent
depends upon the nature of raw materials, chemicals used, the processes involved in
the factory, and also the methods of treatments given to the effluent before they are
discharged from the factory.
The pH was comparatively low due to the use of phosphoric acid and sulfur
dioxide during the clarification of sugar cane juice (Manivasakam 1987; Palharyal
et al. 1993). The pH is an important factor in the formation of algal blooms that
Table 1 Physico-chemical characteristics of sugar industry effluent
Parameters Effluent Different concentration (%)
TNPCB
(2009)
10
25
50
75
100
Control
Temperature
(°C)
28.2
28.5
22.8
22.8
28.8
28.1
28.2
40
Colour
Brownish Yellowish Brown
Brown Brown Brown –
Colourless
pH
6.5
7.2
7.37
7.43
7.55
7.72
6.99 6.5–8.5
EC (mS)
2.21
1.63
1.86
2.17
2.48
3.26
1.56 –
TS (mg/L)
3900
2000
2300
2500
2800
3800
2000
2100
TDS (mg/L) 2700
1000
1000
3000
2000
3000
1000
200
TSS(mg/L) 1200
1000
13000
500
800
800
1000
200
Chloride
(mg/L)
325
280
300
310
310
320
260
200
Hardness
(mg/L)
380
260
340
350
355
375
180
600
Ca (mg/L)
160
160
180
200
200
220
130
–
Mg (mg/L)
120
100
160
150
155
150
50
–
Alkalinity
(mg/L)
200
75
125
200
375
550
100
–
PO 4 (mg/L)
28
18
20.6
22.5
24
26
12.5
10
COD
(mg/L)
780
320
420
480
580
620
180
250
DO(mg/L)
4.52
3.24
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.7
1.21 –
BOD
(mg/L)
450
180
220
240
280
380
80
30