Physico-Chemical Analysis of Slaughterhouse Wastewater to Develop Appropriate Treatment: The Case of Souk el Arbaa. Morocco

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize and estimate the pollution potential of wastewater discharged into the Mda River, due to effluents from the city's municipal slaughterhouse, with the goal of formulating recommendations for appropriate treatment to reduce the serious impact on not only public health and the environment, but also on the city's socio-economic activities.A systematic inventory was conducted over the period from January to December 2018.Furthermore, physico-chemical analyses show that the slaughterhouse's wastewater reveals a significant pollutant load in terms of organic matter, with COD (average = 280 mg/L), BOD5 (average = 186 mg/L), TSS (average = 300 mg/L), and mineral matter expressed as Chlorides (average = 350.5 mg/L), Electrical Conductivity (average = 2690 μs/cm), with a pH of 7.57.The average concentration of ammonium ions is around 11.4 mg/L, while that of Nitrates is approximately 1.74 mg/L.Despite the high organic load of this wastewater (BOD5/COD ratio = 0.66 and TSS/BOD5 = 1.66), it shows satisfactory biodegradability.The examination of the COD/BOD5 ratio = 1.50 highlights the biodegradable nature of the wastewater from the city's municipal slaughterhouse, for which treatment appears to be entirely appropriate.