Physicochemical Assessment of Effluent Discharged from a Textile Industry into the Kubanni River, Kaduna State

Industrial effluents discharged without adequate treatment represent one of the most serious anthropogenic threats to surface water quality in Nigerian urban environments. This study assessed the physicochemical characteristics of effluent discharged by a textile manufacturing facility located along the Kubanni River in Kaduna State, and evaluated the impact of this discharge on downstream river water quality. Effluent samples and river water samples were collected from the discharge point and at 200, 500, and 1,000 metre intervals downstream. Parameters including pH, temperature, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, colour, conductivity, and total hardness were measured using standard methods. The effluent pH of 10.3 was strongly alkaline, well outside the regulatory permissible range of 6 to 9. Biochemical oxygen demand of the effluent was 487 mg/L, compared to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency standard of 30 mg/L. Chemical oxygen demand was 1,240 mg/L. Dissolved oxygen in river water declined from 7.2 mg/L upstream to 2.8 mg/L at 200 metres downstream, indicating significant oxygen depletion. Total suspended solids and colour were dramatically elevated at the discharge point. Parameters gradually improved at 1,000 metres downstream but remained above recommended levels. These findings confirm severe water quality degradation attributable to textile effluent discharge and underscore the urgency of enforcing effluent pre-treatment standards and conducting environmental compliance audits of industrial facilities in Kaduna State.

Keywords: textile effluent, physicochemical assessment, Kubanni River, water pollution, Kaduna State