Table 1.
Chemical and biological analysis of treated wastewater along with standards of the Ministry of Waters and Electricity, Food and Agriculture Organization, and local groundwater (control).
| Parameter | Bani-Malik Effluent WWTP | LGW∗∗∗ | MWE∗ | FAO∗∗ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.45 | 7.89 | 6.0–8.4 | 6–9 |
| EC (dS/m) | 2.15 | 3.510 | 3.900 | 0–3 |
| SAR | 7.27 | 13 | 0–15 | |
| TDS (mg/l) | 764.55 | 1612 | 2500 | 0–2000 |
| SS (mg/l) | 130.55 | 0 | 10 | – |
| COD (mg/l) | 17.14 | 10.0 | – | – |
| BOD (mg/l) | 2.8 | 0.8 | ND | – |
| NH4+(mg/l) | 33.31 | 0 | 5 | 0–5 |
| NO3− (mg/l) | 23.48 | 0 | 10 | 0–8 |
| P3− (mg/l) | 6.56 | 0 | – | 0–2 |
| Ca ++ (mg/l) | 61.15 | 54.28 | 200 | 400 |
| Mg++ (mg/l) | 11.51 | 27.66 | 150 | 60 |
| Na+ (mg/l) | 43.53 | 83.76 | – | 900 |
| K+ (mg/l) | 6.5 | 3.89 | – | 0–2 |
| Fe++ (mg/l) | 1.58 | 0.018 | 5 | 5 |
| Zn++ (mg/l) | 0.096 | 0.001 | 4 | 2 |
| Mn++ (mg/l) | 0.096 | 0.002 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Cu++ (mg/l) | 0.050 | 0.079 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Pb+++ (mg/l) | 0.019 | 0.004 | 0.1 | 5 |
| Cd++ (mg/l) | 0.0091 | 0.0001 | 0.01 | 0.2 |
| Cr++ (mg/l) | 0.014 | 0.029 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Ni++ (mg/l) | 0.032 | 0.006 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
EC = electrical conductivity (dS/m), COD = chemical oxygen demand (mg/l), BOD = biological oxygen demand (mg/l), *MWE = Ministry of Waters and Electricity, **FAO = Food & Agriculture Organization (1985), ***LGW = local groundwater, TDS: total dissolved solids, SAR: sodium adsorption ratio.