Characterization of coke plant effluent by lysimeter test to evaluate safe disposal to land

Abstract

Abstract The importance of coal carbonization industries is evolving with great interest from the national point of view. In coke ovens, naturally found coal is converted to coke suitable for metallurgical industries. Enormous quantities of liquid effluents produced contain suspended solids high in COD, BOD, phenols, ammonia, and other toxic substances disposed into the water bodies without proper treatment contamination of the aquatic ecosystem. A large coke plant of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) at Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has been surveyed for this purpose, and the impact of its effluent on surface water quality is discussed in this paper. The study found that concentrations of BOD, COD, total suspended, and dissolved solids have exceeded the tolerance limit as per I.S.: 2490 effluent water standard (inland surface water). Column lysimeters were prepared by collecting soil from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus, Jhirpani riverside, Mandira Dam side, putting it layer-wise into a column, and compacting it carefully to put on the original in-situ conditions. Raw effluents, diluted effluents, and water (as a blank) were applied to the three lysimeters twice a week with a 5cm inundating. The impact of raw and diluted effluent on groundwater quality and soil is also studied and discussed in this paper. The study found that the RSP soil sample and NIT campus soil sample were found more efficient for the disposal of effluents, and it is estimated that 2.73 hectares of land can be irrigated with effluents of the coke plant without deteriorating groundwater and soil quality.