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Residual pollutants in treated pulp paper mill wastewater and their phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity in Allium cepa

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Abstract

Discharged pulp and paper mill wastewater (PPMW) were collected near M/s K. R. pulp and papers Limited, Shahjahanpur, India. Chemical analysis of the wastewater showed high BOD (3653–4180 mg L−1) and COD (17,890–19100 mg L−1) values from two different sampling sites. The levels of total phenol were in the range of 389–432 mg L−1; nitrogen (125–234 mg L−1), sulfate (1926–2098 mg L−1), chloride (3.12–5.43 mg L−1) and lignin (38,950–39,000 mg L−1) along with various heavy metals (Fe, 87–79; Zn, 34–22; Cu, 3.28–2.57; Cd, 1.90–0.36; Ni, 6–5, and Pb, 41.23–36.54 mg L−1) were above the permissible limits recommended by the CPCB and the USEPA. The BOD/COD ratio was  < 0.2 which indicated very low biodegradability of the organic matters present in the effluent. The organometallic complex generated from the pulp and paper industry persists in the environment and might be toxic to aquatic organisms. The organic polymers, lignin, metals and ions present in the PPMW were characterized using SEM, EDAX, FTIR, and UV–VIS spectroscopy. The major pollutants detected in the discharged PPMW included nonacosane, heptacosane, octadecanoic acid, hexadecane, and 6-benzamide- 3- [2- [1-(phenylmethyl)-4-piperidinyl] ethyl]-1, 2-benzisoxazole, as well as a group of plant fatty acids classified as EDCs, and mutagenic pollutants. The cytotoxic and androgenic properties of these complex organics were examined. The seed germination test with Phaseolus mungo and cytotoxicity test with Allium cepa showed that at > 20% concentration of PPMW, α-amylase production was inhibited and chromosomal segregation at metaphase and anaphase during cell division was disturbed, which resulted in c-mitosis, sticky chromosomes, and laggard chromosomes. In addition, SEM of the root of A. cepa showed fissures and fractured tissues of the root cap, probably due to the inhibition of auxins that were responsible for root cap formation. The findings indicated A. cepa as a good test model for examining the DNA damage and cytotoxicity by PPMW, and the discharged effluent should be treated at a tertiary stage for environmental protection.

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Acknowledgements

This work is financially supported by DBT, New Delhi, India vide letter no. BT/PR18896/BCE/8/1372/2016 Dated 28.3.2018 Govt. of India New Delhi. Instrumentation facilities for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) from USIC, BBAU Lucknow, and Uttar Pradesh, India are gratefully acknowledged. This work formed part of the Ph.D. program of Ms. Pooja Sharma.

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  1. Department of Environmental Microbiology, School for Environmental Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Vidya Vihar, Rae Bareli Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226025, India

    Pooja Sharma & Ram Chandra

  2. Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, The Burroughs, Hendon, London, NW4 4BT, UK

    Diane Purchase

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Sharma, P., Purchase, D. & Chandra, R. Residual pollutants in treated pulp paper mill wastewater and their phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity in Allium cepa. Environ Geochem Health 43, 2143–2164 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00730-z

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