Assessment of Hexavalent Chromium Pollution in Buriganga and Dhaleshwari River Waterbodies Adjacent to Tannery Estates in Bangladesh

Abstract

Recently, in Bangladesh, all tannery industries have been relocated to a new location exclusively established for leather processing industries with modern manufacturing facilities and effluent treatment plants with standard probations. Effluents generated from the tannery industries are now being disposed of into the surrounding river water bodies. In this study, our goal was to investigate the presence of chemical contaminants like hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) in the water bodies surrounding tannery industries and to understand the possible role played by the tannery effluents in contaminating the river water bodies with Cr6+. Result analysis revealed the presence of an amount of Cr6+ (ranging from 0.01 mg/L to 3.54 mg/L) in the surrounding water bodies, which was far above the maximum permissible limit of Cr6+ (0.05 mg/L for surface water), set by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is, therefore, plausible to assume that effluents from the tanneries play an important role in hexavalent chromium contamination of water bodies surrounding tannery industries.

Investigating the prospect of cleaner production in informal enterprises: A scientific assessment of environmental burdens and economic efficiency

“…As leather tanning industries, where chrome tanning is used in the tanning process, are located in the Hemayetpur area, tannery industries can be identified as a possible source of Cr pollution. Workers, entrepreneurs, and residents of this area remain at high health risk due to Cr pollution in the area since Cr is mutagenic and carcinogenic to humans [ 88 ].…”

“…Pb and Cr are widely used in the production of color pigments for textile dyes [ 94 ]. Hence, nearby textile dyeing industries were the probable sources of Pb and Cr discharge that are mutagenic and carcinogenic to humans [ 88 , 93 ].…”

Bioremediation of Hexavalent Chromium By Bacteria Isolated From Buriganga River, Dhaka City

“…E-mail: kabir@stamforduniversity.edu.bd. substantial (7,8). In Cr 6+ -laden environments such as Buriganga River, bacteria are likely to adapt specific resistance systems to survive by evading metal stress through efflux or minimizing uptake and reducing the Cr 6+ to Cr 3+ .…”

“…A portion of the effluents from tanneries in Hazaribagh are conveyed to the lagoon while the other portion discharged into nearby low-lying areas through drain, which eventually falls into the Buriganga River (5). Considering the adverse effects of tannery waste on both human health and the environment in Hazaribagh, the government of Bangladesh has formulated a new plan "Hazaribagh Tannery Relocation Project (HTRP)" to shift Hazaribagh Tannery Complex to a new site in Savar (7). All tanneries were relocated to Savar by 2017; however, the contamination of the Buriganga River has persisted for such a long duration that a recent relocation is unlikely to be sufficient in significantly reversing the pollution.…”

Chemical Investigation and Separation of Chromium from Chrome Cake of BSCIC Tannery Industrial Estate at Hemayetpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh

“…For the treatment of efuent and waste, the Common Efuent Treatment Plant (CETP) was commissioned by the government of the people's republic of Bangladesh. CETP has two diferent inlet lines from tannery: one is for the chrome recovery plant which line contains the efuent of the chrome tanning process, and another inlet line is called the general line which discharges all other efuents, except the chrome tanning process [19]. Te collected efuent from the chrome tanning process is treated with alkaline oxide.…”