Impact of Domestic and Industrial Effluent Disposal on Physicochemical Characteristics of River Malin at Najibabad City, India

Abstract

The current study aimed to assess the health of the Malin River situated in Najibabad city, India by analyzing several physicochemical parameters. The main objective was to evaluate the impact of industrial and domestic wastewater on the river's health. The study was conducted over six months, from January to June 2023, at four different locations along the river. To calculate the water quality index (WQI), the data was further processed, and Pearson correlation was utilized. Except for site 1, most of the analyzed physicochemical parameters exceeded the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) limit, as indicated by the results. The utilization of river Malin water for irrigation, laundry, and vegetable cleaning may pose a health hazard to the public due to high contamination levels at the points where industrial (site 2) and domestic (site 3) effluents continuously mix with the river water. The water quality at all locations is deemed unsuitable for consumption due to a WQI score greater than 100. There are strong positive correlations between total dissolved solids (TDS) and other studied parameters, except for dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and turbidity. This suggests the presence of inorganic pollutants concerning organic pollutants. Wastewater treatment facilities are necessary along river coasts to conserve river flora and fauna, as well as water quality, to safeguard human and river health.