The Physico-Chemical Studies of Wastewater in Hawassa Textile Industry

This paper present a case study of the comprehensive physico-chemical studies of industrial wastewater of Hawassa Textile Factory of Ethiopia using chemical analytical methods which represents a heavy source of environmental pollution that entering a water reservoir. The physico-chemical parameters such as color, odor, temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solid (TDS), total suspended solid (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD in effluent and adjacent water samples were assessed. Wastewater sample in triplicates mode from Hawassa textile and receiving water bodies were analyzed for the above parameters separately using standard methods. The results were compared with standard values for wastewater set by authorized bodies. The results showed that textile effluents were blue black colored and have pungent odor. The range of temperature was 17.80-25.75aµ’C and pH was 8.080-11.21. The experimental analytical values of EC, TDS, TSS, BOD, and COD, of textile effluent were found 31.01-46.30, 277.0-900.4, 90.50-147.0, 93.00-188.0, and 189.6-264.0mg/L respectively. Except for temperature the analyzed values of all samples exceeded the prescribed guideline limit. The COD values of all the samples were very high indicating high degree of pollution. Thus Hawassa textile effluents are one of the sources of pollution for receiving water which will affect the flora and fauna existing in the surrounding environments. This case study strongly underlines the need for treatment of textile effluent before they are discharged into the surrounding water reservoir.