Impact of industrial effluent on water, soil and Rice production in Bangladesh: a case of Turag River Bank

Purpose It is almost a common practice in Bangladesh to indiscriminately discharge effluent into the nearby wetlands, crop fields and water bodies. So, contamination occurs from water to food chain through soil and field crops. This study therefore assesses the impact of industrial effluent on water, soil and rice production taking Turag river bank as a case study, which located in the most thickly industrialized area of Bangladesh. Methods The descriptive and diagnostic research design was used in the present study. Eighty farmers were selected as respondents using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The data were collected using an interview schedule. Impact of industrial effluent contamination was measured based on the extent of change that occurred in soil and water quality, level of insect infestation and, quantity and quality of rice before and after the establishment of industries. Similarly, water samples were collected to examine water quality parameters. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percent, mean and standard deviation were used to describe and interpret the data, while paired t-test was used to test significant difference. Results The results revealed that the quality of water and soil, and quality and quantity of rice have differed significantly after the establishment of industries. Surface water was mostly affected (t-value 90.25). Almost all of the respondents (97.5%) stated that there was high insect infestation after the establishment of industries which negatively affects rice production. The water quality parameters test revealed that temperature, total dissolved salts, pH and salinity were within the acceptable limits, while electrical conductivity and heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Ni) were above the acceptable limits. The majority of respondents (77.6%) had favourable to highly favourable perception on the negative impact of industrial effluent contamination on rice production. The major problems faced due to the industrial effluent contamination were pollution, low fertility, increase attack of insect, dermal diseases and low yield. Conclusions The establishment of industries has quiet negatively altered soil, water and rice production as buttressed by the evidence based viewpoints of the respondents. Proper treatment of industrial effluent and implementation of environmental act would certainly help overcome the problem.