CLRI and CSIRO are collaborating in an ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research) Project, Salinity Reduction in Tannery Effluents in India and Australia. TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) is a major problem in both countries. The aim of this project is to develop viable systems to reduce salt use in hide and skin preservation and processing. Tanners are closely involved with the Project and will trial and assess developments.

In Australia, some tanneries have significantly lowered the total amount of salt discharged mainly by processing green rather than salted hides and by Direct Chrome Liquor Recycling. These tanneries are able to sustainably use the effluent for irrigation even though the TDS can be over 10,000 mg/L. Some components of the TDS are beneficial and the application rate is critical. For details see World Leather magazine, 2002, 15, 6, 81.

Considerable progress has been made in Tamil Nadu in reducing TDS discharge in tannery effluents. Further technology for reduction in salt use needs to be developed and adopted by industry. At the same time, regulations for TDS discharge and irrigation of effluents need to be reviewed to enable beneficial use of wastes. There is not yet a viable system available to remove TDS sufficiently from effluents to achieve Tamil Nadu regulations: the economic viability of RO for concentration of salts from tannery effluent should be fully demonstrated before it is recommended.The 3-year project has started well with a visit to Australia by CLRI scientists N.K.Chandra Babu and C.Muralidharan.

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