INTRODUCTION:

Ujana Dist. Latur is a small town located at the south-east corner of the state of Maharashtra. It hosts Balaghat Sugar Factory. The nearby ground waters of dug wells and bore wells are the major sources of drinking, cleaning cloths and agriculture and hence it was thought to study the impact, if any, of the effluents of the said Sugar factory. The present study aims find different physico chemical parameters of the effluents of the said factory and water of the nearby ground water resources (dug well and bore well) in order to find out the suitability or non-suitability of these ground waters for human and agricultural uses.

EXPERIMENTAL:

Materials and methods :

The effluent and water samples (dug wells and bore wells) were collected in clean polythene bottles. The suspended matter of the water samples was removed by the filtering through Whatman paper No. 42 before analysis. The nitrates were estimated by phenol disulphnic acid method¹. The standard methods were used for other analytical estimations also. For the analysis of water, common and essential parameters like pH, E.G., hardness, BOED, COD, DO, TDS_, alkalinity, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, etc. were selected as per drinking water specifications of BIS, (1993)². Conductivity measurements in all the samples were also done to assess the contribution of ions in quality of water. The parameters like pH. E. C., BOD. COD, hardness and free chlorine were analysed at sampling sites. The other parameters were analysed in the laboratory as per the standard methods of water and waste water (APHA-1992)³ pH and conductivity were measured by pH meter and portable conductivity bridge, respectively. The concentrations of SO₄^2- and NO₃^-were measured using a spectrophotometer. The other parameters were measured by standard volumetric methods as per APHA (1985) and Trivedy and Goel⁴. Different methods used for analysis of water samples are given in Table 1.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The results of physico-chemical analysis for pre- and post- monsoon seasons of 2014 for the effluents and the ground waters (dug wells and bore wells) are presented in Table 2.

Table 1: Methods employed for examination of physico-chemical parameters

S.No	Parameter	Method employed
1	pH	pH Metry
2	E.G.	Conductometry
3	Total dissolved solid (TDS)	Conductometry
4	Chloride	Argentometry titration
5	Alkalinity	Titrimetry
6	Hardness as Ca	EDTA titration
7	Hardness as Mg	EDTA titration
8	Sulphate	Turbidimetry
9	DO and BOD	Wrinkless
10	COD	Reflux method
11	Mg	Flame photometry
12	SO₄^2-	Colorimetry
13	NO₃^-	Spectrophometry

Table 2: Values of the different parameters of the samples of pre/post monsoon seasons of 2014

Parameter	Dug	Well	Bore	Well	Effluent
Temp. (°C)	31/31	32.3/ 31.8	32.2 / 31.5	32.2 / 32.0	32-4 / 31.8	32.4 / 32.2
PH	6.91/	6.97/	6.86/	6.86/	3.87/	3.88/
	6.72	6.82	6.73	6.80	3.77	3.83
EC (mmh)	0.512/	0.557/	0.816/	0.857/	1.499/	1.526/
	0.492	0.502	0.791	0.763	1.33	1.514
TDS alkalinity (mg/L)	50/47	52/50.6	85/85	86/85	156/154	154/152
OH alkalinity (mg/L)	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil
CO₃ alkalinity (mg/L)	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil
HCO₃ alkalinity (mg/L)	503/403	502/452	302/252	352/533	502/467	502/472
Arsenic (mg/L)	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil
F (mg/L)	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil	Nil/Nil
DO (mg/L)	2.8/2.6	2.8/2.7	3.0/2.8	3.0/2.8	3.3/3.0	3.2/3.1
COD (mg/L)	7583/	7683	6802	6962/	157500/	157800/
Cl (mg/L)	35.03/	35.47/	778.10/	794.11/	1901.01/	18078.90/
	32.07	34.93	698.05	1833.10	1833.10	18005
Total hardness (mg/L) as CaCO₃	7.93/7.43	8.1/8.0	24.1/23.5	24.7/24.0	214.1/208.5	212.7/210.3
Calcium hardness	7.5/7.2	7.7/7.2	20.35/	19.7/19.2	106.5/	102.7/
(mg/L) As CaCO₃			19.7		105.5	100.7
Mg - hardness	0.62/0.45	0.52/0.33	3.62/ 3.82	5.2/5.2	111.2/	110.2/
(mg/L) as CaCO₃					105.11	99.65
PO₄^3- (mg/L)	0.000500/ 0.000862	0.000577/ 0.00052	0.00283/ 0.00271	0.00285/ 0.00267	0.029/ 0.023	0.04/ 0.028
SO₄^2- (mg/L)	22.02/19.7	20.2/1 9.9	320/305	317/303	220/214	217/203
NO₃^- (mg/L)	2.2/1.2	2.2/1.9	4.5/4.3	4.7/4.0	7.9/7.77	8.1/7.1
BOD (mg/L)	270/261	282/257	124/118	122/108	1883/	1905/
					1871	1830

The temperature was found to be within the permissible limits of WHO⁵ and ISI⁶. The values of pH showed weak acidic nature of the ground waters. This shows that carbonates or bicarbonates and some other salts percolate into the ground stream. The EC is within the normal range. EC is mainly a measure of salinity, which greatly affects the taste and thus, has significant impact on its use⁷The amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) was within permissible limits. The probable increase in TDS of the ground waters might be due to pollution by effluents¹. In the present study, the total hardness of effluents was found to range between 208-244 ppm, which is above the WHO⁵ and ISI⁶ permissible limit but total hardness in the water of the dug well and bore well have been found within the permissible limits. According to Dufur and Backer's classification, water with hardness value of 180 ppm is considered to be very hard. Total hardness due to concentration of Ca and Mg ions is expressed in calcium carbonates. The use of lime in sugar processing and its discharge in effluents may have resulted in higher concentrations of CaCO₃.

The bicarbonate as CaCO₃ values in general were well above the WHO standards. The free CO₂ entering the system is converted into bicarbonates (APHA - 1912). Values of the sulphates were found higher due to discharge of sugar mill effluents⁷. The nitrates and phosphates were well within the permissible limits.

BOD is a measure of organic biodegradable materials in water. The present study shows much higher values of BOD for effluents, dug wells and bore well waters. As per WHO / ISI standards, the water with BOD less than 5 ppm. is potable and useful for drinking purposes. The COD values were also high than the permissible range. The higher values of COD may be due to the presence of chemically oxidisable organic matter⁸.

The values of DO were 2.8 at an average. The organic pollutants present in the effluents create an oxygen demand⁴.

CONCLUSION:

The present study revealed that the dug well and bore well waters are heavily polluted by the sugar mill effluents The chemical parameters like EC, TDS, TH, BOD, COD, presence of HCO₃^-, As, Cl^- . NO₃^- and SO₄^2-were higher for effluents and lower for the ground waters as compared to WHO and ISI standards. DO values were low, showing high degree of organic load. In these circumstances, to maintain the water quality of the dug wells and bore wells and make them safe for the drinking as well as agriculture, necessary measures should be taken to treat the waste (effluents) of the sugar factory before discharge. Strict monitoring of the effluent treatment plants must be done so as to control pollution of the ground waters.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

The author is grateful to the authorities of M.M. Nilanga, Rahemaniya Jr. College, Nilanga, S.M.P. College, Murum, and K.M.C. College, Khopoli for their encouragement for this work.

REFERENCES:

1. N. Mani Vasakam Physico-Chemical Examination of Water Sewage and Industrial Effluents, Pragati Prakashan, (1984) p. 42.

2. BIS (1993).

3. APHA (1992) Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water. APHA, AWWA, WPCF, Amer Publication Health Assoc., Washington, DC.

4. R. K. Trivedy and Goel, Chemical and Biological Method for Water Pollution Studies, Environmental Publication, Karad (1986).

5. WHO (1984) International Standards for Drinking Water.

6. ISI (1983) India Standards, Specification for Drinking Water ISI 1050.

7. R. D. Sentil Kumar, R. Narayana Swamy and K. Ramkrishnan, Pollution Studies on Sugar Mill Effluent, Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Toxic Metals. Poll Res, 20 (1), 93-97 (2001).

8. J. B. Moyle, Limnology of Water Supply and Waste Disposal, American Asso. Adv Science (1949)