IJEP 42(1): 111-118 : Vol. 42 Issue. 1 (January 2022)
Divya Ashok and E.V. Ramasamy*
Mahatma Gandhi University, School of Environmental Sciences, Kottayam – 686 560, Kerala, India
Abstract
Ashtamudi estuary situated on the southwest coast of India is prone to pollution as a result of various anthropogenic activities. Among these, coir industry plays a major role. This industry cause serious damage to the water environment. The traditional retting practices to extract quality coir fibers releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as well. Present study focuses on the physico-chemical properties of water samples collected from various retting sites of Ashtamudi estuary. Parameters analyzed include dissolve oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total hardness, polyphenols, etc. High values of BOD, polyphenols and low DO levels depict deterioration of physico-chemical quality of water in retting areas. The findings clearly indicate that coconut husk retting has increased organic pollution load in estuary.
Keywords
Coir retting, Water pollution, Ashtamudi estuary, Pollution load, Wetlands
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