Introduction
Environmental pollution is one of the world's
significant issues, and it is worsening every day because of urbanization and
industrialization. The current industrial activity pattern disrupts natural
material flow and introduces novel chemicals into the environment, which
includes water bodies, soil, plants, vegetables, humans, and other living
organisms. Water pollution is now one of the most important problems
confronting the contemporary world, because of a growth in the number of
companies, and this is a source of other environmental pollutants. Soil and
air, after water, are the most crucial components of the ecosystem, yet they are
also the most underestimated, misunderstood, and overused earth and atmospheric
resources. The tannery business is a major polluter of the environment, with
the ability to pollute soil and water. Tanning is a chemical process that turns
animal hides and skin into leather, which is a stable and putrescible product.
Tanning agents are often used to turn hides into leather, and the process
produces a very turbid, colorful, and foul-smelling effluent. Various
pollutants, such as air pollutant, water pollutant, and solid pollutant, are
discharged throughout the tanning process at various stages, including beam
house operations, tan yard activities, post tanning operations, and finishing
operations.
Effects
Every day, a considerable amount of chemicals is
utilized and drained from tanneries, damaging water resources such as streams,
ponds, rivers, and even subterranean water. According to studies, the
destructive impacts of a typical tannery can have a negative influence on
humans, animals, birds, and aquatic life within a 7-8 km radius. Stomach
difficulties, respiratory problems, ulcers, hypertension, kidney stones,
genetic mutations, cardiac arrest, heart, kidney, and liver illnesses are just
a few of the ailments that may be caused by polluted ground water. In the
chemical process of microbial breakdown, organic matter dissolved in tannery
effluent absorbs a large amount of oxygen from water bodies. The tanneries'
effluent reduces the amount of oxygen in the water in this way. Because fish,
plants, and other aquatic species cannot exist without oxygen in such water, it
fails to meet the needs of aquatic life.
Because the tanning affluent contains large
amounts of dyes and chemical extracts, the water's clarity is harmed because
the pollution serves as a barrier to sunlight travelling through the water. The
infrared rays of sunlight are absorbed by dyes and other chemical extracts at
the water's surface. Because light cannot flow through water, the aquatic life
cycle is disrupted, causing additional disruption to other living species.
To reduce the hazardous effects of industrial
effluent, it should be treated before being discharged.
Even in industrialized countries, however, the
effluent treatment process for discharged wastewater necessitates large
expenditures and operational costs to meet the standards of environmental
protection agencies. The situation is quite different in underdeveloped nations
like Pakistan, where there is no suitable infrastructure in place for disposing
of industrial effluent, therefore it is released into the public sewer system
and other local water resources. Many leather processing units in Pakistan
operate in this manner. Despite their damaging impacts and poisonous chemicals,
leather tanneries play an important role in the regional and national economy.
In this circumstance, its negative impacts should be reduced to improve its
efficacy by lowering industrial wastewater's destructive environmental effects.
To prevent negative consequences, leather tanneries and other companies that
emit harmful chemicals should be classified separately by law and located in a
distinct industrial zone away from people. To mitigate the negative
environmental consequences of wastewater, Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP)
should be developed in such industrial zones. The infrastructure for adequate
and separate drainage and disposal of industrial waste should also be created.
About the Author: Mubeen Ahmad is a
student of Environmental Sciences . He wants
to aware to people about environmental pollution and other environmental
problems.
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