EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL DAIRY EFFLUENTS ON SOIL, WATER  AND CERTAIN CROPS IN  GUNTUR DISTRICT OF  ANDHRA PRADESH

DAKSHAYANI, THANGI

EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL DAIRY EFFLUENTS ON SOIL, WATER AND CERTAIN CROPS IN GUNTUR DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

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DAKSHAYANI GAM-17-05.pdf (3.32 MB)

Date

2019

Authors

DAKSHAYANI, THANGI

Publisher

Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur

Abstract

A study on the “Effect of Industrial Dairy Effluents on soil, water and certain crops in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh” was undertaken at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Advanced Post Graduate Centre, Lam, Guntur during 2018-19 to evaluate the extent of soil and plants affected due to dairy effluent from Sangam dairy, Vadlamudi, Guntur district. Soil and plant samples were collected during the months of August and December 2018 at various distances from dairy viz., 250, 500, 750, 1000 m and check area samples collected from distance greater than 1000 m. Water samples were collected for a period of 6 months from August 2018 to January 2019. Various physico-chemical and chemical properties of the soil, water and plant were studied. Dairy effluent samples collected from Sangam dairy industry, Vadlamudi were analysed for physico-chemical and chemical properties. The pH and EC of water samples were found to be neutral and non-saline. Carbonates were absent and bicarbonates were observed within the permissible limits of less than 200 ppm. The mean concentrations of calcium, magnesium, chlorides, sulphates, sodium, potassium, SAR and RSC were found to be within the permissible limits (<10 and 2.5 respectively). BOD and COD of effluent samples ranged from 135 to 213 and 278 to 361 mg l-1 respectively were noticed as much above the permissible limits (100 and 300 mg l-1 respectively). The soil pH in study area (250 m to check area) was acidic to slightly alkaline in nature ranged from 6.76 to 7.71 before sowing and 6.74 to 7.68 after harvest of the crop respectively. The soils irrigated with dairy effluent were non-saline with electrical conductivity ranged from 0.31 to 0.19 dSm-1 before sowing and 0.3 to 0.19 dSm-1 after harvest of the crop respectively. The soil pH followed increasing trend with increase in distance from dairy effluent discharge point whereas, electrical conductivity of the soils followed decreasing trend with increase in distance. Medium range of organic carbon content was observed in the soils ranged from 0.42 to 0.4 before sowing and 0.42 to 0.4% after harvest of the crop respectively. xv The mean available nitrogen content of soils in study area (250 m to check area) ranged from 367 to 300 before sowing and 340 to 218 kg ha-1 after harvest of the crop. The mean available phosphorus in soils ranged from 25.4 to 34.2 before sowing and 25.5 to 30.8 kg ha-1 after harvest of the crop respectively. Available potassium in soils ranged from 462 to 220 kg ha-1 before sowing and 441 to 230 kg ha-1 after harvest of the crop. The mean available sulphur content of soils of study area was deficient with the range of 5.26 to 4.9 before sowing and 5.44 to 4.57 kg ha-1 after harvest of the crop. Available nitrogen, potassium and sulphur were followed decreasing trend with increase in distance whereas available phosphorous content of the soils in study area (250 m to check area) was followed increasing trend with increase in distance. The calcium and magnesium content of the soils before sowing of the crop in study area (250 m to check area) ranged from 6.3 to 7.4 and 2.28 to 3.03 meq per 100 g soil respectively whereas, after harvest of the crop ranged from 6.1 to 7.2 and 2.27 to 3.04 meq per 100 g soil respectively. Available calcium in soils followed increasing trend with increase in distance whereas magnesium followed decreasing trend with the application of dairy effluent. The mean available micronutrients viz., copper, iron, manganese and zinc before sowing of the crop ranged from 0.035 to 0.02, 2.82 to 1.63, 0.9 to 0.73 and 2.75 to 2.54 ppm respectively whereas, after harvest of the crop 0.3 to 0.02, 2.72 to 1.9, 0.87 to 0.75 and 2.61 to 2.58 ppm respectively. Micronutrients in the soil followed decreasing trend with increase in distance from the dairy effluent discharge area. The mean heavy metal content in the soil viz., lead, cadmium, chromium and nickel ranged from 0.0035 to 0.038, 0.0029 to 0.006, 0.002 to 0.016 and 0.0038 to 0.0053 ppm respectively was observed before sowing of the crop whereas, after harvest of the crop they ranged from 0.004 to 0.026, 0.0025 to 0.0063, 0.0023 to 0.017 and 0.0035 to 0.0059 ppm respectively. Heavy metals in the soils irrigated with dairy effluent followed increasing trend with increase in distance from dairy industry. Results shown that significant difference was observed between before sowing and after harvest of the crop in available nitrogen and calcium content in soils. All the parameters (physico-chemical and chemical properties) of the ground water in the study area (250 m to check area) were analyzed and noticed lower values than the permissible limits. The pH and EC of water was neutral and non-saline in nature. Carbonates were absent and bicarbonates were within permissible limits. The mean concentrations of calcium, magnesium, chlorides, sulphates, sodium, potassium SAR and RSC were found to be within the permissible limits. BOD and COD contents in the water samples ranged from 68 to 128 and 213 to 398 mg l-1 respectively. Total nitrogen in the plant samples irrigated with dairy effluent ranged from 0.62 to 0.54%, phosphorous from 0.26 to 0.19% and potassium from 0.43 to 0.41% followed decreasing trend with increase in distance. Calcium, magnesium and Sulphur content in the plant samples ranged from 0.07 to 0.04%, 0.18 to 0.17%, and 0.34 to 0.23% respectively when irrigated with dairy effluent. Micronutrients and heavy metals in the plant samples followed decreasing trend with increase in distance from dairy effluent discharge area. Microbial population viz., bacteria, fungi and actinobacteria in the soils irrigated with dairy effluent found to be higher at 250 m distance compared with check area. Maximum population of bacteria was 121×105 CFU g-1, fungi was 86 x 103 CFU g-1 and actinobacteria was 49×105 CFU g-1 recorded at 250 m whereas, minimum population was observed (bacteria-76×105 CFU g-1, fungi-19 x 103 CFU g-1 and actinobacteria9×105 CFU g-1) at check area from the dairy industry. xvi Present study reveals that dairy effluent application increased the nutrient content in the soil and plants when irrigated. Therefore, with proper treatment methods, dairy effluent application increases the fertility content and can mitigate the pollution problems. The heavy metal content in the soils was within the permissible limits but exceeded limits in the plants. Hence, dairy pollutant can be used as irrigation source for commercial crops rather than vegetable/ agricultural crops.