Physicochemical properties of slaughterhouse wastewater in and around Guwahati city, Assam

The physicochemical qualities of wastewater from poultry, goat, pig and cattle slaughterhouses in and around Guwahati city were investigated to assess the influence of the slaughterhouse wastewater in the receiving drainage system and nearby rivers. Samples were analysed as per the standard methods. Out of the physicochemical parameters studied the Temperature (0C) of slaughterhouse wastewater ranged from 28.51 ± 0.22 to 28.76 ± 0.20, pH 6.41±0.03 to 6.55±0.03, Total Dissolved Solids (g/L) 0.84± 0.04 to 4.70± 0.14, Total Solids (g/L) 4.03 ± 1.50 to 7.5±1.28 and Electrical conductivity (mS/cm) 0.89 ± 0.02 to 5.93 ± 013, which were below the WHO permissible limits. Unacceptably high levels of the assayed parameters were observed for Turbidity (107.33 ± 7.19 to 263.86 ± 9.11), Total Suspended Solids (mg/L) 4.43 ± 0.0 to 6.93 ± 0.13, Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 3.32 ± 0.10 to 4.73 ± 0.11, Biological Oxygen Demand (mg/L) 500.00 ± 20.00 to 792.50 ± 29.88 and Total Nitrogen (mg/L) 1197.78 ± 11.72, to 1381.97 ± 7.51. These findings were outside the compliance levels of the WHO tolerance limits for slaughterhouse wastewater.