Characteristics of Industrial Effluents in a Coastal Province of Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Abstract

The study aims to assess the quality of industrial effluent in Bac Lieu province using multivariate statistical analysis. The effluent from wastewater treatments plants were collected at 12 locations with nine parameters including pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonium (N-NH4 +), chloride (Cl−), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total coliforms. Effluent quality is compared with national technical regulations on industrial wastewater and seafood processing wastewater column B (QCVN 40:2011/BTNMT and QCVN 11-MT:2015/BTNMT, respectively). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to determine the important parameters affecting the quality of industrial wastewater effluent in the study area. The results showed that industrial wastewater effluent was high in organic matters, nutrients, microorganisms which exceeded the allowable limits of QCVN 40:2011/BTNMT and QCVN 11-MT:2015/ BTNMT. Correlation analysis showed that most industrial wastewater effluent parameters were closely correlated proving the treatment systems having problems in its operations. The results of PCA presented that pH, COD, BOD, TSS, TN, TP, N-NH4+ and total coliforms mainly affected industrial wastewater effluent. These parameters would negatively change surface water quality at the receiving water bodies. Improvement of wastewater treatment system efficiency is urgently needed to comply with discharge regulations and to protect precious surface water quality. The study’ results provide useful information for local environmental managers to enhance management strategies to reach the environment sustainable goals in the locality development.