Impact of Discharge of Wastewater and Used Oil from Motor Service Stations on Groundwater Quality of Dehradun City of Outer Himalaya Region

Abstract

The effluent discharge from automobile service stations is a matter of deep concern as it is directly released to the environment without any treatment particularly in developing countries. The different types of used oil and fluids are prominent contaminants from automobile sector which are being consistently let-out risking the environment and health of living beings. The disposition of oily wastes on land surface effects the soil quality and can infiltrate the sub-soil impacting the groundwater quality. The deterioration of groundwater quality has challenged the survival of the ecosystem and in the forefront need to take urgent steps to revive and sustain the groundwater. The current research work is based on assessment of effluent quality discharged from different Motor Service stations by drawing comparison of the physiochemical wastewater quality parameters against the BIS standard of drinking water quality. The analysis showed that 7 out of 15 parameters measured were off permissible standard limits and exhibited maximum values. High levels of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 666.65 mg/l, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) 6.8 mg/l, Alkalinity 457.5 mg/l, Calcium (Ca) 142.9 mg/l, Magnesium (Mg) 69.86 mg/l, Total Hardness 550 mg/l, Oil & Grease 76 mg/l were indicated in the collected samples which does not imply a positive scenario of the water ecosystem. High concentrations of Oil & grease at the different automobile service centers were found in the range of 20–76 mg/l. Thus, this study has been done to provide meaningful insights on the effects on aquatic biota and the importance of effluent treatment particularly in automobile sectors. Further, the study can be used as a source of reference to do research studies in this topic.