Assessment of industrial effluent and its impact on soil and plants

The present study deals with the assessment of industrial water of an elect ronic component manufacturing unit with electroplating and its subsequent e ffects on soil and plants receiving the effluent. The physico-chemical para meters of the effluent samples showed higher value than that of ground wate r. The treated effluent was within the permissible limit. Microtox test was conducted and determined the degree of toxicity of untreated, treated effl uents as well as the water sample collected at effluent discharge point of receiving river (confluence point). The physico- mechanical parameters of t he soil samples were not changed due to irrigation of the treated effluent, but the concentration of metals were comparatively higher than the control soil. Higher accumulation of metals was found in the plant parts in natura lly growing weeds and cultivated crop plant irrigated with treated effluent . Elevated accumulation of metals in Eichhornia crassipes and Marsilea sp. growing along the effluent channel has been identified as a potential sourc e of biomonitoring of metals particularly for Cu and Ca and can be utilised for the removal of heavy metal from wastewater.