Assessment of organic and inorganic contaminants in handmade paper industry effluents from Rajasthan, India: a field-based physicochemical, ICP-MS, and GC-MS investigation.

The handmade paper industry (HMPI) is widely regarded as an environmentally sustainable rural enterprise; however, its effluents may contain complex mixtures of organic and inorganic contaminants. This study presents a field-based assessment of effluent quality from HMPI clusters in Jaipur, Dausa, and Bassi, Rajasthan, India, using physicochemical analysis, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and multivariate statistical tools. Effluents showed wide variation in pH (6.7-12.1), electrical conductivity (8-42 mS cm⁻1), and biochemical oxygen demand (3.4-210 mg L⁻1), indicating substantial organic loading. ICP-MS analysis revealed measurable concentrations of Pb, Cr, Zn, and Ni, while GC-MS profiling identified over 70 organic compounds, including phthalates, aromatic ketones, and nitrogen-containing heterocycles associated with dyeing and bleaching processes. Multivariate analysis demonstrated site-specific contamination patterns and common pollutant signatures across units. The findings indicate inadequate effluent treatment and potential ecological risks. Overall, the study highlights the need for decentralised monitoring and low-cost remediation strategies, and provides a basis for future development of sustainable treatment approaches for handmade paper industry clusters.