Studies on Pollution due to discharge of effluent from Pharmaceutical Industries of Dombivali Industrial Belt of Mumbai, India

The paper deals with monitoring of pollution arising due to pharmaceutical 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, Cr, Pb, Fe and Zn were found to be maximum of 14.06, 0.57, 0.42, 18.93 and 3.31 ppm respectively in the month of February, while Ni concentration was found to be maximum of 0.43 ppm in the month of June. The pH and BOD values were reported to be maximum of 12.54 and 546 ppm respectively in the month of October. The conductivity and total solid content was found to be maximum of 27400 μmhos/cm and 9401 ppm respectively in the month of June. The cyanide content was maximum of 0.13 ppm in the month of April. The alkalinity, hardness, salinity, chloride, phosphate and COD content was reported maximum of 852, 694, 10.36, 4821, 46.32 and 1271 ppm respectively in the month of February. The DO content was found to be minimum of 3.00 ppm in the month of February. It was observed that the level of many of these toxic heavy metals except Zn and various physico-chemical parameters were above the tolerable limit set for inland surface water. From the results of the present investigation it seems that the time has come to move towards ecosystem specific discharge standards to maintain the health and productivity of natural resources on which the majority of Indians are dependent.