DefinePK

Abstract

Background and Objective Dairy industry is one of the major food industries causing water pollution. Using animals like fish in the treatment of waste water is gaining importance. Hence the present study has been designed to test the efficiency of Pterygoplichthys pardalis on improving the characteristics of dairy effluent. Materials and Methods Physical and chemical characteristics like total solids, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, pH, total alkalinity and total hardness of dairy effluent were analyzed using standard methods. Then the fish were exposed to 10, 20, 30 and 40 dairy effluent for 5 days. Changes in the above-mentioned parameters were analyzed in the control and experimental tanks. Students t-test was employed to test the variation between control and experimental sets. Results The P. pardalis was able to reduce the levels of total dissolved solids, pH and total alkalinity whereas, it was not able to reduce total solids, total suspended solids and total hardness significantly in treated dairy effluent after 5 days of treatment. Conclusion P. pardalis exhibited the capacity to treat dairy effluent. Hence it can be used in bioremediation programmes for treating industrial effluents.