The present paper deals with the study of different physico-chemical
parameters as well as metal concentration in the effluents discharged by a
leather processing industry, Madina Tannery, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Industrial
effluents were collected from every section of the leather-processing unit
(viz., preliminary soaking, soaking, dehairing, re-liming, bating, pickling,
chrome tanning, neutralization, colouring and fat liquoring). The pH value and
concentrations (mg.l
$^{-1}$
) of TDS, TSS,
Cl
$^-$
, BOD, COD and Cr were found in the range of
3.4–12.8, 570–85,340, 68–2384, 69–23,125,
1148–8875, 2068–16,231 and 26–6853 respectively. Levels
(mg.l
$^{-1}$
) of BOD, COD, Chloride (Cl
$^-$
),
Electric Conductivity (EC), Total Alkalinity (TA), Total Dissolved Solid (TDS)
and Total Suspended Solid (TSS) were found in the range of 4768–5798,
6636–7859, 1978–2215, 2900–5600, 745–1358,
7068–9068 and 1003–2307 respectively. Metal concentrations
(mg.l
$^{-1}$
) of Cr, Mn, Fe and Cd were found in the range of
69–74, 0.07–0.09, 2.5412–2.8796 and 0.0257–0.0325
respectively. The study reveals that tannery effluents play a key role in
environmental contamination.
