摘要
Up to 1990 a new phenomena concerning environment has taken place in our country. Many industrial enterprises were totally or partially closed. But leather tanning and processing factories which were represented by 5 enterprises located from the north to the south in Shkodra, Tirana, Vlora, Korça, Gjirokastra, not only survived but many small tanneries were established during this transition period. The new ones carry out only tanning operations locally (i.e. “wet-blue” leather already chrome-tanned).Leather tanning is carried out using primitive methods and largely manual operations. The reasons of this situation are traditions in heritage from the past, raw material (leather) of good quality and very cheap, lack of respective legislation, standards, monitoring, etc.This trend is reinforced by the fact that all the operations preceding tannage create environmental pollution and is thus accepted with increasing difficulty in the developed countries, because of the specific laws against pollution. The wet-blue leathers are imported into Europe.There are more than 10 tanneries (some of them are working in illegal way) all over Albanian territory, from the north to the south and from the east to the west.Presently, all processing leather factories and tanneries discharge hundred of thousands ton wastewater effluent into water basins. The physical and chemical indicators of tanneries effluent depend from the capacity of production. BOD5 varies at limits of 965–1631 mg O2/L, COD from 6168–11032 m gO2/L, TSS at limits of 1264–9984 mg O2/L total sulphides 21–380 mg O2/L, total chromium 4.75–49.2 mg O2/L, ammonia ions 10–102 mg O2/L. Municipalities damp sites and most frequently riversides are used for solid waste disposal. There is no treatment plan neither for waste water nor for solid waste.From all above mentioned the risk of water resources pollution is very evident. This risk is increased keeping in mind Albanian natural physical environment.Albania is a small mountainous country and the total land area covers 28748 km2, meanwhile it has a rich hydrographic net (groundwater streams, rivers springs lakes, wetlands). This net includes over 200 big natural resources of groundwater.The degradation water quality of many rivers is significant. At the same time water of some rivers is used for drinking water supply.If we will take into account— type of pollution— high rate of wastewater pollutants [19]— high toxicity of chromium, sulphides, etc.— low debit of rivers especially during the summer time— Albanian rivers pollution rate (high BOD, low dissolved oxygen, etc.).It’s necessary identification and evaluation of the negative impacts of this activity that affect environment, natural water resources and at last human health and welfare.