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An investigative study on the ecological risk associated with the release of industrial effluents containing anionic contaminants in Chitrapuzha river, Kerala
Author : Nishan Ahammed V. and Lity Alen Varghese*
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ABSTRACT
The alarming increase in the presence of anionic contaminants in industrial effluents are creating huge destruction to our river ecosystems. In spite of the fact that they are non-toxic to human beings, but still, it has the potential to add pace to eutrophication and thereby causing instability to the ecological cycle in river bodies. The current work emphasis on an Ecological Risk Assessment study based on a river ecosystem polluted by industrial release containing anionic contaminants. The analysis comprises a risk assessment associated with the consumption of water and other river organisms pertained due to these effluent releases. The analysis was conducted for both resident and worker. The water samples for the analysis were collected from Chitrapuzha river located at Ernakulam in Kerala state. This river is a release basin for around a dozen chemical industries. The results from analysis clearly showed a drastic reduction in the quality of water and an alarming rate of various anionic contaminants such as sulphate, nitrate, chloride and fluoride. The risk pertained due to these contaminants by consumption of river water is presented in this work. The future recommendations in light of this assessment are also included.
KEYWORD
Anionic contaminants, river ecosystems, Ecological Risk Assessment, risk quantification, environmental impact assessment