Status of Heavy Metals in Soils of Paper Mill Effluent Irrigated Fields

Abstract

The heavy metals are probably the most harmful and insidious pollutants because of their non-biodegradable nature and hence to assess whether the effluent irrigation r`as contributed for the heavy metal accumulation in the soil, present study was undertaken at Pallipalayam in Tamil Nadu where paper mill effluent irrigation is in vogue for more than 25 years. Reprosontative soil samples of surface (a-30 cm depth) and subsurface soil (30-60 cm depth) from the fields, which were under different periods of effluent irrigation. viz. more than 25 years,15 years,12 years, 9 years and control (no effluent), were collected and analyzed for heavy metals, viz. Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The study revealed that though there is heavy metal accumulation in the soil, it is below the permissible limit. But continuous effluent irrigation tends to accumulate heavy metals in the soil and hence suitable soil amendment sr`ould be applied.