Demethylation of Arsenic and Nickel From Tannery Effluent

Abstract

The tanning Industry is considered to be a major source of pollution and tannery wastewater in particular is a potential environmental concern. Wastewaters produced by tanneries contain high concentration of inorganic and organic pollutant. The pollutants of concern within the tanning industry include Azodyes, Cadmium compounds, Cobalt, Copper, Antimony, Barium, Lead, Selenium, Mercury, Zinc, Arsenic, Polychlorinated Biphyenls (PCB), Nickel, Formaldehyde resins, and Pesticides residues. Because tannery wastewater contains a complexity of pollutants including chromium and chlorinated phenols as indicated earlier, it is vital to dissect the toxic nature of such wastewater both to understand its environmental impacts and identify potential remediation strategies. Furthermore, there are strict regulations imposed for the environmental control of pollutants such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. In this chapter, the authors discuss the demethylation process of Arsenic and Nickel from Tannery Effluent.