Loads of poison in Pallavaram groundwater pose health risk to residents

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The health of people living in Pallavaram is under serious threat due to presence of heavy
metals like chromium and lead in the ground water, according to a
study published in the International Journal of Research in
Engineering and Technology.

The study, ‘Trace Metals Contamination of Groundwater In and Around
Tannery Industrial Area of Pallavaram in Chennai’, which was conducted
by Centre for Water Resources, Anna University on January 2014,
assessed 18 groundwater samples collected from the tannery accumulated
site in Pallavaram. It found that not only that the groundwater is
affected by leaching in the area but also the waste from the
industries dumped at the Periya Eri is causing groundwater related
problems.

The study, which was published on May 2014, found that while none off
the people used the ground water for drinking purposes, most of them
used it for domestic purposes.

It stated that when the water is used by people for bathing and
washing, the soap does not produce froth and causes skin rashes,
itching, fever, diarrhoea and this is particularly experienced among
the children within the age group of less than five years of age.

The study stated that the presence of chromium and lead in groundwater
exceed the normal limits. Studies of groundwater in this area have
found high concentrations of Chromium, which is much more than the
permissible limit in drinking water.

“The tanneries are polluting the groundwater causing ecological
degradation and health hazards. High concentration of chromium may be
due to various anthropogenic activities like industrial effluent from
tanneries and household sewages,” the study stated.

Chromium is highly toxic and even in small concentrations cause
diseases in humans and animals. The major source of chromium is the
effluent from tanneries as they use chrome sulphate which is an
essential chemical in the tanning process, the study stated.

The study also stated that the ground water has high concentration of
lead. “The lead concentration in the area ranges from 0.06 to 1.00
mg/l with an average of 0.65 mg/l. The concentration of lead in most
of samples exceeds the safe limit of 0.05 mg/l beyond this limit the
water becomes toxic,” the study stated.

The consumption of lead in higher quantity may cause behavioral
problems, hearing loss, high kidney damage, reduced IQ, decreased
sperm production,  blood pressure and hypertension and eventually it
may be  prove to be fatal, the study stated.

“The concentrations of heavy metals in the ground water is threatening
and thereby posing a serious health hazard. It is not that the effect
is alone to human health but also economical in way that the  people
has to spend a reasonable part of their income towards  purchasing
better quality water for drinking and other domestic needs as a
precautionary measure to avoid health impact. Thus indirectly in a way
to avoid health impacts the social cost of living of the people is
made high. Thus, there is as alarming need to mitigate the water
quality problems in the area due to heavy metals,” the study stated.