TABLE 1 : TOLERANCE LIMITS FOR INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS

(As per IS:2490(Part I) - 1981)

Discharge into
Sr.No. Characteristic On Land Marine
Inland Surface
Public Sewer for Costal
Waters
Irrigitation Areas
1 Suspended Solids, mg/l 100 600 200 100
Dissolved Solids
2 2100 2100 2100 -
(inorganic), mg/l
3 pH value 5.5 to 9 5.5 to 9 5.5 to 9 5.5 to 9
Shall not
exceed 40 45 at the 45 at the
4 Temperature, 0C within 15m d/s point of - point of
from effluent discharge discharge
outlet
5 Oil and grease, mg/l 10 20 10 20
Biochemical Oxygen
6 30 350* 100* 100*
Demand(5d, 20 0 C)
Chemical Oxygen
7 250 - - 250
Demand, ** mg/l
Total Residual Chlorine,
8 1 - - 1
mg/l
Ammonical nitrogen (as
9 50 50 - 50
N),mg/l
Total kjeldal nitrogen (as
10 100 - - 100
N), mg/l
Free Ammonia (as NH3),
11 5 - - 5
mg/l
12 Arsenic (as As), mg/l 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
13 Mercury (as Hg), mg/l 0.01 0.01 - 0.01
14 Lead (as Pb), mg/l 0.1 1 - 1
15 Cadmium (as Cd), mg/l 2 1 - 2
Hexavalent Chromium (as
16 0.1 2 - 1
Cr+6), mg/l
Total Chromium (as Cr),
17 2 2 - 2
mg/l
18 Copper (as Cu), mg/l 3 3 - 3
19 Zinc (as Zn), mg/l 5 15 - 15
20 Selenium (as Se), mg/l 0.05 0.05 - 0.05
21 Nickel (as Ni), mg/l 3 3 - 5
22 Boron (as B), mg/l 2 2 2 -
23 Percent Sodium, - 60 60 -
Residual Sodium
24 - - 5 -
Carbonate, meq/l,
25 Cyanide (as CN), mg/l 0.2 2.0 0.2 0.2
26 Chloride (as Cl), mg/l 1000 1000 600 -
27 Fluoride (as F), mg/l 2 15 - 15
Dissolved Phosphates (as
28 5 - - -
P), mg/l
29 Sulphate (SO4), mg/l 1000 1000 1000 -
30 Pesticides Absent Absent Absent Absent
31 Radioactive materials
a)Alpha emitters, µc/ml 10-7 10-7 10-8 10-7
b)Beta emitters, µc/ml 10-6 10-6 10-7 10-6

Note 1: * Further relaxation may be decided by the concerned agencies.

Note 2: ** For paper, dyestuff, pesticide and certain chemical and petrochemical
industries, these values may be relaxed. Whenever these values are relaxed, it shall be
ensured that the effluent passes the test for acute lethal toxicity as given in IS:6582.

Note 3: All efforts should be made to remove colour