An Experimental Analysis of Waterquality in Thirumanimutharu River Stretch and Treatment of Wastewater Using Micromediation Process
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15662/IJEETR.2026.0802156Keywords:
Water Pollution, Thirumanimutharu River, Wastewater Treatment, Microalgae, Micromediation, Water Quality Analysis.Abstract
Water pollution has become a major environmental concern due to the discharge of untreated industrial and domestic wastewater into natural water bodies. The Thirumanimutharu River, which flows through Salem and Namakkal districts of Tamil Nadu, has been severely affected by industrial effluents and municipal sewage. This study focuses on analyzing the water quality of the Thirumanimutharu River and nearby groundwater sources and evaluating the effectiveness of a biological wastewater treatment method known as micromediation using microalgae.
Water samples were collected from various locations along the river stretch as well as groundwater sources located near and away from the river. The collected samples were analyzed for important physicochemical and biological parameters such as pH, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Chloride content, and Coliform bacteria. The results were compared with Indian Standard (IS) and World Health Organization (WHO) water quality standards.
The analysis revealed that the river water is highly polluted due to industrial discharges from sago industries, textile dyeing units, and municipal wastewater from Salem city. High BOD, TDS, chloride levels, and bacterial contamination were observed in several sampling locations.
To improve the water quality, a biological treatment method using microalgae was adopted. The micromediation process significantly reduced pollutant concentrations and improved dissolved oxygen levels. The results indicate that microalgae-based wastewater treatment is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for improving river water quality
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