Phytotoxic effects of varying concentrations of leather tannery effluents on cotton and brinjal

Abstract The influence of varying concentrations of tannery wastewater was studied on cotton and brinjal plants. Tannery effluents were provided at 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% concentrations and data for various growth, biochemical and ion attributes were recorded successively at 20, 40 and 60 days after effluent treatments. Plant treated with different effluent exhibited a prominent reduction in growth traits of root and shoot at all three harvests. Maximum inhibition in growth was evident at 50% effluent application followed by 40% and 30% respectively. The increasing effluent concentrations inversely inhibited NRA activity and reduced total soluble proteins in both the plant species. A concentration dependant bioaccumulation of chromium and sodium was recorded while potassium and calcium ions exhibited reduction. Brinjal plants had higher Cr bioaccumulation (at all harvests) compared with cotton plants. In an overall assessment, irrigation with tannery effluents at all concentrations especially at 40% and 50% concentrations were toxic for both cotton and brinjal cultivation and it is further proposed that leather tannery effluent should not the used for irrigation of agricultural fields.