Comparative physicochemical and genotoxicity assessments of textile mill company effluent and local tie-and-dye textile wastewater

The textile industry has become indispensable in view of its basic and social importance to human life, but its environmental impact has continued to be a subject of concern. The objectives of the present study were to assess and compare the physico-chemical and genotoxicity properties of a corporate textile mill effluent and the wastewater generated by a local Tie-and-dye (Adire) business in Western Nigeria. While the Allium cepa assay was used to assess genotoxicity, standard APHA and other procedures were used to analyse the physico-chemicalproperties. Results showed that many physicochemical qualities of the two effluent types were higher than the recommended limits. The root growth and mitotic inhibition potential of the two effluent types increased with rising effluent concentrations and period of exposure. The chromosome aberrations induced by the two effluent types were binucleated, attached, vagrant, sticky, and bridged chromosomes. Independent samples t-test analyses revealed that the differences between the two effluent types were only marginal and not significant (P > 0.05). This implies that the textile mill company whose effluent was used for this study did not subject its effluent to treatment before discharging, and if it did, the treatment was grossly inadequate. Governments at all levels in Nigeria, and other countries in which similar results may be obtained, are called upon to reinvigorate their regulatory agencies to enable them to discharge their oversight functions effectively.Keywords: Chromosome, contaminants, environment, effluents, Nigeria, textil