Environmental Impact Of Leather Tanning Industry

Environmental Impact Of Leather Tanning IndustryThe global environment is gradually worsening as a result of the socio-economic activities of mankind. Leather flagellation industry plays significant role in economy of a country through employment and export earnings but resulting pollution from tanning functioning causing severe environmental degradation.Tanning is the process by which hides or skins atomic number 18 converted into slash. After removal of flesh and fur from the hide it is tempered with chemicals which cross linked the microscopic collagen fibers to form a stable and durable leather product. A schematic diagram of tanning is presented and this indicates the type of waste float generated from tanning process (Fig.1.1) (Harrison, 2001).Leather processing comprises of series of operations that can be classified as pre-tanning, in which hides or skins are cleaned tanning process, which for good stabilizes the hides and post-tanning or finishing operations, where fin al shape value is added for manufacturing of leather (Ramasami, Rao, Chandrababu, Parthasarathi, Rao, Gayathri and Sreeram, 1999). Production of leather from tanning of hides and skins has been an important activity since ancient times. For processing a long ton of hide approximately 30-40 cubic meter (m3) of water system is used (Suthanthararajan, Ravindranath, Chitra, Umamaheswari, Ramesh and Rajamani 2004).Currently, about 6.5 millions tons of wet salted hides and skins are processed worldwide annually. About 3.5 millions of motley chemicals are used for leather processing. A considerable part of this amount is discharged into the outgoing (Ludvik, 1996). Tanning of hides and skins by the usual tanning process is on the whole a wet process from which a large volume of liquid waste is almost continuously discharged throughout the exerting hours of an industry. Usually primp waste, liming wastes and spent vegetable tan liquors are discharged intermittently (Song, Williams and Edyvean, 2000).It is approximated that 30-40 x 1010 liters of effluent is generated by worldwide annual processing of 9 x 109 kg hides and skins (Thanikaivelan, Jonnalagadda, Balachetran and Ramasami, 2004). Leather industry consumes a large amount of water so the availability of good quality water and the treatment of large amount of effluent are the two major issues. The tannery effluent is a mixture of bio matter of hides and a large variety of organic and inorganic chemicals. Tanneries leave the sewer water usually contain organic and inorganic matter with high level of salinity, ammonia and organic nitrogenous pollutants and other toxic pollutants including sulphide and residues of chromium metal salt) (Ros and Gantar, 1998). Tannery effluents are characterized as highly colored, foul smelling with acidic and alkaline liquor (World Bank, 1998).Poor processing practices and use of unrefined conventional leather processing push aggravate the pollution problem. In tannery effl uents presence of chromium and hydrogen sulfide formed due to sulfide are highly toxic to many surviving beings. Indiscriminate discharge of effluents into water bodies or open land causing contamination of surface and ground water in addition to degradation of phytology and fauna of soil have direct impacts on agricultural land (Khawaja, Rasool, Fiaz and Irshad, 1995 Ramasami, Sreeram and Gayatri, 1997).The leather tanning industry significantly contributes to economy of a country. The major leather production centers in the world are found in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, China, India and Pakistan. Leather tanneries generate three type of waste including wastewater, solid waste and transport emissions. So far, wastewater is considered as the most important environmental challenge faced by Pakistans tanneries (Iqbal, 1998).In Pakistan, tanneries are established both in nominal and informal welkin presently over 596 tanneries are established in the formal sector and equal ly large number of tanneries exists in the informal sector (ETPI, 2001). Increasing number of tanneries in Pakistan is to be considered as the major cause of environmental degradation because untreated effluents from tanneries are released into environment. Kasur district has more than 350 tanning and it has compel the mean livelihood of most of residents.The present study focuses on identification environmental problems related to tanneries wastewater in Kasur through participatory action and impact local communities for self managed corporal actions for application of locally available and cost effective wastewater treatment technologies within their industry premises. In this process participants cop wastewater treatment technologies through mixer learning process which is based on the principle of learning by doing.Participatory inquiry allows researchers to gain a better understanding of problem. Participatory GIS approach is used for the purpose of involving partnership and development of GIS infobase. Participatory GIS is a spacial decision making tool intentional to utilize GIS technology with participatory approach in the perspective of needs and capabilities of communities that are involved through and affected by development projects. Novel familiarity mapping and modeling methods linked to GIS for implementing community-based planning, have been studied and developed since the 1990s (Dunn, Atkins and Townsend, 1997 Abbott, Chambers, Dunn, Harris, DeMerode, Porter, Townsend and Weiner,1998 Sieber, 2006) and began to spread into China through international development projects (Cai, Zhu and Dai, 2001 McConchie and McKinnon, 2002 Wang, 2003).Participatory GIS technique encourages community participation and involves community in the production of GIS (Cinderby, 1999). Participatory GIS generally resulted from the combination of participatory methods i.e. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) with ge o-spatial technologies (Rambaldi, Kyem, Mbile, McCall and Weiner, 2005). in spite of appearance this broad range of approaches different techniques have been employed in specific locations and projects to investigate specific issues or encourage participation from particular groups or stakeholders. It has been a commonality of many participatory GIS that the process of participation (including the collection and collation of information) has often been emphasized in the process more than the technical utilization of GIS which requires advance to specific expertise (McCall, 2004). Geographic information system (GIS) is a computer-based system for capturing, storing, manipulating, analyzing, and displaying geographical data for solving spatial complex resource planning and solicitude problems (Densham, 1991). In GIS framework data is categorized into spatial data and attribute data. The data is stored in current GIS within two give way databases one for spatial data and one for a ttribute data. In most GIS representation of spatial data is in vector (points, lines, and polygons) and raster (pixels or grids) forms (Burrough, 1986). These conventional vector and raster representation of geographic features in GIS focus on database management including query and spatial analysis (Rhind, 1990).In the development of a GIS database, different features are processed and stored in separate data layers representing geographic themes. All data layers in the same GIS database are required to be geocoded to a standard coordinate system such as State Plane coordinate system. Therefore, a GIS database can be conceptualized as sandwiched data layers containing different types of geographic features, registered to a common base map. GIS store, manage, and analyze geographically referenced data and devices that measure geographic location such as Global Positioning System (GPS) provides data on location in equipment casualty of latitude, longitude and altitude required for the GIS (Deichmann and Wood, 2001).Participatory action research combines aspects of popular education, community based research, and social action. Participatory action research is collaborative processes in which researchers work with community to identify an area of concern and community take part to generate knowledge about the issue, formulate plan and carry out actions meant to parcel out the issue in substantial way (Brydon, 2001).Participatory research approach empowers community members to collaborate with researchers to better understand their own problems and to find effective and feasible solutions. Participants in the research process can identify a problem, collect and analyze relevant information, and act upon it in order to develop solutions and to promote social and/or political transformation (Selener, 1997). Participatory research represents a distinct set of practices or approaches to generate knowledge, including a variety of quantitative and qualitative resea rch methods (e.g., participant observation, personal interviews, focus groups, and participatory needs assessment surveys).Treatment of tannery effluents has been searched for physical, chemical and biological methods. The biological treatment, especially the use of microorganisms to improve polluted water quality is effective and widespread due to environmentally and economically as compared to chemical treatment. Effective Microorganisms or EM Technology is selected for the treatment of tannery wastewater. The concept of EM Technology was developed by Professor Teruo Higa, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. EM consists of beneficial naturally occurring microorganisms that have a reviving action on humans, animals, and the natural environment. EM is a mixed finis of selected species of microorganisms including predominantly lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, photosynthetic bacteria, actinomycetes and other types of organisms which are mutually compatible and can coexist in liqu id culture (Higa, 1991 Higa and Wididana, 1991).The ultimate goal of this research is to break psychological, social, technical and economic barriers in technology adoption by tanneries owners and workers. So that tanneries owners and workers are enabled for self organized collective wastewater management within their working environment. Through this process community participation is anticipated in all stages of action research including problem identification, data collection, participatory GIS and application of wastewater treatment technology.AIMS AND OBJECTIVESThe objectives of my study are as followsPreparation of GIS database of small tanneries through participation of stakeholders in Kasur.Demarcation of small tanneries and wastewater channels discharging from tanneries through participatory GIS mapping.Identification and selection of locally available and effective wastewater treatment technologies.Laboratory experimentation to check the efficacy of selected wastewater tre atment technology.Develop simplified methods to increase social acceptance of waste minimization techniques through community participation.