Tessema, Merid (PhD)Hailemichael, Million2022-03-212023-11-092022-03-212023-11-092021-11-23http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/30707Heavy metals pollution is a major problem in both developed and developing countries. In Ethiopia, the wastewater in most of the paint industries is not treated properly, but instead is fed directly into rivers. Recently, there are more paint industries in Ethiopia, polluting the environment and posing public risk from the release of untreated waste. This industrial sewage pollutes the nearby bodies of water and affects the growth of vegetation. These toxic heavy metals, when released into the aquatic environment, enter the food chain and cause various health problems in humans. This research work deals with the determination of toxic heavy metals in industrial effluents from four paint industries. The overall results indicate a high concentration of heavy metals in the effluents samples from four different paint industries.The study reveals that the Kadisco and Abay paint industries were the major contributors of toxic heavy metals, particularly Cr, Cd, Pb, and Ni in the surrounding. The paint industry in Addis Ababa contributes to the pollution of the river water. Major contributors include the Nefas silk paint factory which released 5.602 mg/L toxic cadmium, the Kadiscopaint factory which released 1.781 mg/L chromium and an average of 0.8101 mg/L lead. The paint factory Abay released an average value of 4.261 mg/L nickel. All indicated values were above the permissible limit value of the ES EPA and the WHO.enHeavy MetalPaint IndustryEffluentWastewaterThesis