The Jamaican National Trade Effluent Standards (1995)
PARAMETER STANDARD LIMIT
Ammonia /Ammonium 1.0 mg/l
Barium 5.0 mg/l
Beryllium 0.5 mg/l
Boron 5.0 mg/l
Calcium No Standard
Chloride 300 mg/l
Colour 100 TCU
Detergent 15 mg/l or <0.015 kg/ 1000 kg product
Fluoride 3.0 mg/l
Iron 3.0 mg/l
Magnesium No standard
Manganese 1.0 mg/l
Nitrate (as Nitrate and Nitrite) 10 mg/l
Oil and grease 10 mg/l or <0.01kg/ 1000 kg product
pH 6.5 C 8.5
Phenols 0.1 mg/l
Phosphate 5.0 mg/l
Sodium 100 mg/l
Sulphate 250 mg/l
Sulphide 0.2 mg/l
TDS 1000 mg/l
Temperature 2 °C +/- average ambient temperature
TOC 100 mg/l
TSS All times <150 mg/l
Monthly average 50 mg/l
Heavy Metals
PARAMETER STANDARD LIMIT
Arsenic 0.5 mg/l
Cadmium 0.1 mg/l
Chromium 1.0 mg/l
Copper 0.1 mg/l
Cyanide (Free HCN) 0.1 mg/l
(Total CN) 0.2 mg/l
Lead 0.1 mg/l
Mercury 0.02 mg/l
Nickel 1.0 mg/l
Selenium 0.5 mg/l
Silver 0.1 mg/l
Tin No standard
Zinc 1.5 mg/l
Total Heavy Metals 2.0 mg/l
STREAM LOADING
PARAMETER STANDARD LIMIT
BOD5 < 30 mg/l
COD < 0.1kg/ 1000kg product or < 100 mg/l
DO > 4 mg/l
BACTERIOLOGY
PARAMETER STANDARD LIMIT
Total Coliform < 500 MPN/ 100ml
Fecal Coliform <100 MPN/ 100ml
ACRONYMS FOR PARAMETRS USED IN STANDARDS
BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand
COD Chemical Oxygen Demand
DO Dissolve Oxygen
MPN Most Probable Number
TCU Total Colour Unit
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
TOC Total Organic Carbon
TSS Total Suspended Solids
FURTHER CLARIFICATION
Nitrates Refers to nitrogen in nitrates and nitrites
Phosphates Refers to phosphorous in phosphates
pH Measures acidity or alkalinity
Residual Chlorine Where natural treatment systems are designed to reduce coliform levels without the use of chlorine then the residual chlorine criteria would not apply
