Environmental Study on Discharged Wastewater of Albourz Industrial City

Abstract

The treatment facility of Albourz Industrial City was established in 1999 at the southeast of Albourz Mountain with an area of 200,000 square meters. Currently, 40,000 cubic meters of industrial wastes are treated daily utilizing biological method of activated sludge up to the second phase without chlorination in this treatment facility. Then, the discharged wastes are directed toward the lower agricultural lands. The environmental status of the region was investigated by testing the impact of wastewater and agricultural products in four tries. In two tries, the levels of COD and BOD were higher than the environmental standards, but there was no trace of heavy metal contamination in any of the tests. In order to make inquiry about the general health of the residents and domesticated animals, a questionnaire for the farmers and animal of husbandmen was prepared. The residents were dissatisfied with the utilization of wastewater for their domesticated animals. However, farmers were content and satisfy due to their need to compensate the shortage of cultivation water with the freely available discharged wastewater of the industrial city. Because there is no enough water in Iran, they have to buy water from tankers. In the other way wastewater of Albourz industrial city had some metals and mineral materials, so it effected on growth of agricultural product, this shows a little bit of metals and mineral materials is useful for plants. An inquiry about the status of public health and diseases transferred by water was conducted and local physicians were interviewed and statistical data was collected. The number of reported cases of cholera and typhoid was low, but the number of parasitic disease cases due to remains of human waste in water was quite high. Approximately, most of the local residents were suffering from stomachaches related to parasitic disease and physical weakness. It is recommended that the Department of the Environment conduct educational programs for the employees of Industrial Cities in order to persuade them on the benefits of mandatory chlorination process in the treatment facility for the sake of employees and public health. Meanwhile, related laboratory tests to be followed up and studied by pertinent organizations to ensure proper management and planning of the discharged wastewater resources; the wastewater is a valuable source of irrigation water.