Analysis of heavy metals and toxicity level in the tannery effluent and the environs

Heavy metals have found a large number of applications in the recent times. These heavy metals are being continuously added to our environment through various natural and anthropogenic activities. Industries employ heavy metals to process raw materials into final products. Effluents from these industries carry heavy metals. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer) are of great help in detecting various elements in the effluent. They have been extensively applied to solve problems related to environmental monitoring and assessment. Heavy metals like Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Cr can be easily detected using both the techniques. Some of these heavy metals are toxic to both humans and animals. They can have significant related health effects. Presence of heavy metals in the industrial effluent has gained varied attention in the recent times and it has become one of the major causes of water and soil pollution. Significant contributions can be linked with the leather tanning industry. As the effluent from the tanning industry has been found to contain a large number of heavy metals in many studies. Continuous monitoring and treatment of the effluent is necessary to keep a check on the concentration of heavy metals in these effluents. This study focuses on the analysis of the various studies available on tannery effluents, methods used for heavy metal analysis, toxicity of these heavy metals, and the related major health effects. Data for heavy metals in the tannery effluent from different studies in last two decades has been collected and analysed. The data from various studies indicates that Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Ni are the most commonly found heavy metals released from the tanning industry. Proper management of the tannery effluent is thus very essential for saving the environment.