Physicochemical Assessment and Treatment Efficiency of a Textile Effluent Treatment Plant in Bhiwani, Haryana, India

Abstract

Background- Textile processing industries generate large volumes of wastewater containing organic pollutants, suspended and dissolved solids, nutrients, and trace metals. Effective treatment of these effluents is essential to minimize environmental impacts and comply with regulatory discharge standards. Objective: To evaluate the performance of an effluent treatment plant (ETP) Methods: A case study was undertaken on a textile processing unit in Bhiwani, Haryana, by comparing untreated influent and treated effluent collected on 12 February 2026. APHA method was performed on collecting samples, including regressions, PCA, and correlations of variables on SPSS. Wastewater samples were analysed in triplicate for eighteen physicochemical parameters, including pH, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), hardness, alkalinity, chloride, sulfate, phosphate, colour, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and selected trace metals. Findings: Treatment substantially improved wastewater quality across nearly all parameters. BOD decreased from 268.7 to 6.1 mg/L (97.7% removal), COD from 688.7 to 33.7 mg/L (95.1% removal), and TSS by more than 99%. Concentrations of all regulated parameters in the treated effluent complied with the discharge standards prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under Schedule VI of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, as implemented by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). In contrast, TDS, chloride, and sulfate showed comparatively smaller reductions, reflecting the limited ability of conventional treatment processes to remove dissolved ions. Novelty and applications: This study reviewed the ETP operated efficiency during the study period and verified the treated effluent’s suitability for discharge under the applicable regulatory standards, while also identifying dissolved solids as an area for further process improvement.