Analytical Monitoring of the Chemicals Present in the Discharge Water Generated by the Surface Treatment Industry

Abstract

Industrial discharge water, and especially that from the surface treatment industry (ST), contains non-negligible amounts of pollutants even though the legislation is fully respected. In spite of this, no detailed studies list the exact chemical composition of these effluents. The present study reports the results of analyses performed over a 6-month period involving 15 standard water parameters. Over 160 substances including 33 metals, 58 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 24 chlorophenols (CPs), 16 alkylphenols (APs), 5 chloroanilines (CAs) and 7 polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) were monitored. The industrial effluents presented polycontamination involving metals, minerals and organics with a high degree of qualitative and quantitative variability. Of the 160 substances monitored, 46 were regularly found: 25 inorganics including 8 metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn) and 21 organics (4 PAHs, 10 VOCs, 4 CPs and 3 APs). Eighteen were systematically presented at quantifiable levels.