Assessment of textile industry effluents and their impact on local water bodies in an urban setting of Bangladesh

Industrial pollution is a significant challenge for developing countries, particularly in Bangladesh, where the textile industry severely impacts water quality by discharging effluents containing toxic chemicals. This study aims to evaluate the pollutant load of effluents released by six textile industries in Chattogram City. Effluent samples were analyzed for various physicochemical, biological, and heavy metal parameters. The average physicochemical and biological parameters, including color, temperature, resistivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), total coliform (TC), and fecal coliform (FC), were found to be 33.14 PCU, 27.52 °C, 416.85 Ὡ-m, 282.37 mg/L, 0.94 mg/L, 7.80 mS/cm, 2.16 ppt, 135.73 NTU, 7.72, 2.00 mg/L, 2107.54 mg/L, 176.44 mg/L, 108.33 counts/100 mL, and 26.17 counts/100 mL, respectively. The average concentration of heavy metals followed the order of Fe>Cr>Mn>Cd>Pb. Except for temperature, color, resistivity, TDS, TSS, turbidity, Cd, and Mn, all other parameters exceeded the permissible limits set by the Bangladesh Environmental Conservation Rules (BECR. Bangladesh Environmental Conservation Rules (BECR). Dhaka: BECR, 2023), indicating that the effluents are unsuitable for direct discharge into surface water bodies. This study highlights the pressing challenges of textile industry pollution and underscores the need for sustainable practices to protect aquatic ecosystems and human health. Moreover, the findings provide critical insights for policymakers to develop effective pollution control strategies.