Title : Assessment of water quality in Karnaphuli River following a sugar warehouse explosion: A case study
Abstract:
Surface water pollution constitutes some of the major environmental hazards especially after industrial accidents such as the fire disaster that occurred at S Alam Refined Sugar Mills in the region of Chattogram. This study seeks to examine the likelihood of burnt sugar and wonton firefighting chemicals leaking out into the Karnaphuli, a significant waterway, after a prolonged blaze in a warehouse containing 70,000 tons of unrefined sugar. The overlap between waterbodies and the ash emanating from sugar combustion is particularly of interest here because it leads to eutrophication, the underwater ‘explosion’ of chemical oxygen demand COD and oxygen depletion which are none desirable within aquatic ecosystems. In addition, cellulosic materials and other water-soluble substances, which would otherwise be absent from natural waters, are added from firefighting foams and residues that could disrupt the normal functioning of the river.
However, immediately after the fire, without any warning from the flood control system, local authorities used large amounts of water as a measure to extinguish the fire, and these large amounts of pollutants flowed into the river along with the water. Excessive sugar deposition in surface water can have detrimental effects on the overall pollution levels in aquatic ecosystems. The presence of high concentrations of sugar in water bodies can lead to increased algae growth, which can deplete oxygen levels and create dead zones where fish and other aquatic organisms cannot survive. Additionally, the decomposition of sugars in water can lead to the production of harmful byproducts such as organic acids and alcohol, further contributing to water pollution. Overall, excessive sugar deposition in surface water can disrupt the balance of aquatic ecosystems and have long-lasting negative impacts on water quality and biodiversity. The aim of study is to assess the extent of pollution level of karnafuli river due to excessive deposition of sugar.
Keywords: pollution, sugar contamination, firefighting runoff, eutrophication, industrial accident, aquatic ecosystem disruption.
