Title: Characterisation of soil irrigated with pulp and paper mill wastewater for variation in physico-chemical, biological and enzymatic properties

Authors: Prashant R. Thawale; R. Karthik; Surbhi Jore; Sanjeev K. Singh; Asha A. Juwarkar

Addresses: CSIR, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India ' CSIR, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India ' CSIR, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India ' CSIR, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India ' CSIR, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 440020, India

Abstract: Treated wastewater has attracted worldwide attention for its disposal on land; since it is eco-friendly, cost-effective, helps in irrigation of crops and ground water recharge. The study reported here highlights the disposal of treated pulp and paper mill wastewater through well designed land treatment method i.e., high rate transpiration system (HRTS). The HRTS is based on the well controlled hydraulic loading of treated wastewater in land using ridges and furrows. Long term field irrigation experiments (20 years) and short term laboratory experiment (three-seasons) were carried out to evaluate the effect of treated wastewater irrigation on soil physiochemical and microbiological properties. Seasonal variation affected both microbial count and enzyme activity significantly (P < 0.03) with peak value in autumn and trough in winter. Soil enzyme activities indicated significant positive correlation with the number of microbial population in all the seasons of study. Different microbial population and enzyme activities indicated significant positive correlation with percent organic carbon irrespective of soil types.

Keywords: soil physicochemical properties; dehydrogenase; microbial count; cellulose; enzymatic activity; pulp and paper mills; mill wastewater; wastewater irrigation; microbiological properties; wastewater treatment; treated wastewater disposal; high rate transpiration systems; HRTS; hydraulic loading; ridge and furrow.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2015.071144

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2015 Vol.18 No.3, pp.207 - 217

Accepted: 04 Jan 2015
Published online: 13 Aug 2015 *

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