Environmental impact analysis of pharmaceutical waste

Abstract

Pharmaceutical industry is one of the major industries causing water pollution. In India, It generates about Million litres of waste water processed depending upon the process employed and product manufactured. Considering the increased demand for Drugs, the Drug based industries in India is expected to grow rapidly and have the waste generation and related environmental problems are also assumed increased importance. Poorly treated waste water with high levels of pollutants caused by poor design, operation or treatment systems creates major environmental problems when discharged to surface water or land. Considering the above stated implications an attempt has been made in the present project to evaluate one of the WWTP for Drug industry. Samples were collected from six points; Raw effluent [P-1], Oil and grease trap [P-2], Equalization tank [P-3], Aeration tank 1 [P-4], Aeration tank 2 [P-5] and Secondary clarifier [P-6] to evaluate the performance of WWTP. Parameters analyzed for evaluation of performance of WWTP are COD, BOD5 at 20° C, TSS, TDS, oil and grease, Chloride and Alkalinity. Parameters like pH and oil & grease were used to access the suitability of secondary effluent for reuse in gardening or some other purposes. The COD, BOD5 at 20° C and TSS removal efficiency of WWTP were reduced upto very great extent hence it is suitable to dispose it off into water bodies.